Vinicius Jr. Hopes Real Madrid Allow Him to Play for Brazil in U20 Championship

Real Madrid youngster Vinicius Junior has said he hopes the club overturn their decision to rule him out of playing in the South American Under-20 Championship. 

Per Football Espana, Brazil under-20 coach Carlos Amadeu has said Los Blancos will not allow the forward to be involved in the competition, which is set to start on January 20 and run until February 13.

The 18-year-old, who joined Madrid from Flamengo in the summer, has said he is hoping to take part still, per ESPN FC (h/t Football Espana).

"We all know it's very difficult because it is not a FIFA date, and the club is not obliged to release us," he said. "But we are trying not only for myself but for all the players to play the South American [tournament] and play for the national team."

Brazil have a number of exciting young players that will be hopeful of improving on the fifth-placed finish they had in this event two years ago. 

Per Football Espana, Rodrygo Goes, who is also poised to join Madrid in the summer, may be in action. Scouted Football noted that Los Blancos have spent a lot on youngsters from Brazil in recent years:

Clearly Vinicius is proud to wear the national jersey, but he will also believe playing in the competition is beneficial to his development. 

After all, in the South American Under-17 Championship in 2017, he was the top scorer and named Player of the Tournament as Brazil triumphed. It was on the back of those displays—he scored seven times at the competition—and his performances for Flamengo that the forward earned the move to Madrid.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Los Blancos have taken their time with the player. While he featured prominently in pre-season, the 18-year-old has only played 12 minutes of La Liga football this term, that despite the team's issues in front of goal as of late.

However, manager Julen Lopetegui hinted that the forward will have a more significant role to play as the season moves on: 

The games will come thick and fast for Madrid during the end of 2018 and early 2019. Not only will they have La Liga and UEFA Champions League commitments to negotiate, they will once again have to play in the FIFA World Club Cup and the Copa del Rey.

In regards to Vinicius, they have to weigh up whether some appearances in those competitions are better for his progression than a tournament with Brazil's youth setup where he will most likely be a key man. At the moment, it appears the La Liga outfit believe the youngster will have something to offer in early 2019.