Mourinho backs struggling Vinícius but says team comes first

📰 José Mourinho backed Vinícius Júnior but made clear that the team comes before any single player. 📌 Key points 🛡️ Mourinho said good players can return to their normal level after a difficult spell. ⚖️ He argued that Vinícius faces harsher scrutiny than others. 🚧 He added that the team must come before any individual and would not be sacrificed. 🤝 He said all of Vinícius's team-mates back him. 🕒 The squad landed from Athens at about 3 a.m. but were ready for Valencia, he said. 📝 What happened 🎙️ According to Best Eleven, Mourinho raised the subject in his pre-match press conference. Vinícius's season has been described as below expectations. 🔍 Mourinho said that if another player had played the way Vinícius did against AEK, it would have been seen as an ordinary performance. 🔄 On the line-up for that game, he said part of the thinking was to rest Arda Güler, who had a minor fitness issue. 📊 By the numbers • Vinícius started at AEK on 4 November • Madrid were due at Valencia on 7 November • The squad returned from Athens at about 3 a.m. 🔭 Why it matters Mourinho defended Vinícius while stressing that the team comes first. He missed the Valencia game on the last day of his ban, which Madrid won 3-0, and his place will be watched on his return.