Real Madrid prepare to say goodbye to a club legend on Saturday, but Vinicius Junior may not be there to see it

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has said that he 'does not know' whether Vinicius Junior will feature in Saturday's La Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao.

Los Blancos will conclude what has been a disappointing 2025-26 campaign against Athletic at Bernabeu, and it will be Arbeloa's final game in charge of the club.

Reports earlier this week claimed that Vinicius had been given permission to miss this weekend's match in order to begin his preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

According to ESPN, Real Madrid have granted Vinicius leave, with the attacker due to begin training with the Brazil squad at the start of next week.

Brazil's players are due to arrive at the training base, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, on May 27 to prepare for their friendlies against Panama and Egypt.

Vinicius is expected to miss Real Madrid's final La Liga game of the season vs. Athletic

Arbeloa, as expected, was asked about the situation during his press conference on Friday.

The Real Madrid head coach was unable to confirm or deny whether Vinicius would feature this weekend.

“He has permission from the club due to a personal matter. We still don’t know if he’ll be available tomorrow," Arbeloa told reporters.

Vinicius has scored 22 goals and registered 14 assists in 53 appearances for Real Madrid this season, and he will be hoping to inspire Brazil to success at the 2026 World Cup.

Club legend Carvajal will bid farewell to Real Madrid on Saturday

One player who will definitely be involved on Saturday is Dani Carvajal, as the defender brings his decorated Bernabeu career to an end.

The 34-year-old has won 27 major trophies at Real Madrid, but a disappointing 2025-26 campaign has restricted him to 22 appearances, largely due to injury problems, and the Spaniard will officially depart at the end of June when his contract expires.

"He is a symbol of what a Real Madrid player should be. The fact that he is a homegrown player and laid the first stone in the Real Madrid Sports City makes him a truly special and unique player, and he is a source of pride for all madridistas," said Arbeloa when questioned on Carvajal.

"Tomorrow will be a very special day for all of us to pay tribute to him and give him the ovation he deserves.

"Tomorrow he will start, and I’m sure that when he is substituted and receives that great tribute at the end of the match, everyone will stand up.

"Dani will have a beautiful memory of tomorrow and of the affection the fans will show him. I am sure that when he looks back, he will be very proud of what he has done for Real Madrid over so many years. We madridistas have been very fortunate to have been able to enjoy Dani Carvajal."

Carvajal has made 450 appearances for Los Blancos in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and registering 65 assists in the process.

Vote in the 2025-26 Sports Mole Readers' Awards!

Cast your votes for the 2025-26 Sports Mole Reader Awards' below - pick your Premier League player of the season, worst signing of the season, European player of the season and more.

Voting will be open until 11pm on Sunday, May 24, and the winners will be announced on Monday, May 25!