Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has been handed a four-match suspension by the Spanish Football Federation, ruling him out of the highly anticipated El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25.

The Brazilian international will miss La Liga matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia following his dismissal during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday.

According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who reported the development on X on Wednesday, the suspension means Vinicius will be unavailable for the clash against Barcelona.

The disciplinary committee reportedly imposed a two-match ban for violent conduct after the forward pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba. An additional two-match suspension was imposed over his protests following the red card.

The incident occurred after Vinicius appeared to have scored a second goal for Real Madrid. However, the effort was ruled out following a video assistant referee (VAR) review, which revealed the hair-pulling incident.

The forward was subsequently sent off, with the referee’s report also detailing his reaction to the dismissal.

Vinicius later apologised to his teammates and the club’s supporters over his conduct.

His suspension represents a major setback for Real Madrid ahead of their meeting with fierce rivals Barcelona, who are scheduled to host the Spanish giants in the latest edition of El Clásico on October 25.

The absence of the Brazilian forward could affect Real Madrid’s attacking options as they prepare for one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures in Spanish football.