Vinícius Júnior will miss Real Madrid’s first Clásico of the season after the Spanish Football Federation hit the Brazil forward with a four-match LaLiga suspension.

The 26-year-old was sent off in Madrid’s 1-0 win over Villarreal for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair as he sprinted down the pitch. A goal he scored in the same move was ruled out after a VAR review, with the referee deciding the incident came before the finish.

The federation’s disciplinary committee handed Vinícius two matches for violent conduct, then added two more for his furious protest at referee Isidro Díaz de Mera after the red card. According to the committee, the winger confronted the decision aggressively and had to be held back by teammates.

The ban is a significant setback for Madrid. Vinícius will be unavailable for:

Sevilla at home on October 18

Barcelona away in the Clásico on October 25

Racing Santander away on November 1

Valencia away on November 7

The suspension applies only to domestic competition, so Vinícius can still play in the Champions League. That includes Madrid’s games against RB Leipzig on October 21 and AEK Athens on November 4.

Vinícius has since apologised to Madrid fans on social media, though the club are expected to contest the decision. Coach José Mourinho also criticised the timing of the announcement, which landed shortly before Madrid’s Champions League tie against Roma.