Vinicius Jr. Says 'I Always Fight' as He Targets Real Madrid Return from Injury

Real Madrid starlet Vinicius Jr. is staying positive as he targets a return to action before the end of the season after being ruled out for two months with ligament damage in his ankle. 

The Brazilian was forced off the pitch after 35 minutes in Real's 4-1 UEFA Champions League defeat to Ajax on March 5, but he does not seem to be letting the injury affect him:

He tweeted (h/t AS): "With firm steps, I always fight. I do not see another way to get what I want without trusting in myself and what I am capable of doing."

The 18-year-old left the Santiago Bernabeu pitch in tears (U.S. only):

The injury may have brought a premature end to his debut season, as he is set to be out until May.

Real have fixtures on May 5, May 12 and May 19, though, so there's some hope he could get back on the pitch before next season.

The Guardian's Sid Lowe and Squawka's Muhammad Butt were sad to see him get injured:

Few people—not least Vinicius himself—would have expected for him to play such a prominent role this season, but he has been the shining light in an otherwise calamitous campaign for Los Blancos.

Vinicius had played just 12 minutes of senior football under manager Julen Lopetegui, but he quickly became a firm favourite under his successor, Santiago Solari.

The winger has made 28 first-team appearances for Real and been impressive along the way, laying on 12 assists and scoring three times.

While his finishing is an area in need of work, he's an electric presence for a Real side otherwise lacking a spark in the final third.

As good as Vinicius has been, Tom Allnutt of the AFP felt the winger was perhaps being used a little too heavily by Solari:

The Argentinian has since be relieved of his duties, and Zinedine Zidane has returned to the hot seat at the Bernabeu.

When Vinicius recovers, he will have to impress the Frenchman to get back into the team, but Zidane will be well aware of what he contributed prior to his injury.

Although Real could still do with improving their attacking options this summer, it's a significant boost to know they can already count on Vinicius to contribute at a high level.