Rivaldo believes Real Madrid superstar has a 'great chance' of winning the Ballon d'Or ahead of Kylian Mbappe this year

Brazilian legend Rivaldo stated that Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr could beat Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Ballon d'Or award. Speaking to Betfair, the former Barcelona and AC Milan attacker heaped praise on his fellow countryman, also suggesting he was one of the top three best players in the world.

He said:

"Right now, given what he is doing at Real Madrid, he is certainly one of the most important players in the game. He has a great chance of being the best player in the world and winning the Ballon d'Or.

"I would say he is already among the three best players in the world, and this year, with what he's been doing at Real Madrid, the way he's been playing... he certainly has a great chance of being the best player in the world and beating Kylian Mbappé to the title."

Vinicius has emerged as Los Blancos' talisman, impressing over the past couple of seasons. Despite sustaining an injury early in the season, he has played a vital role as the Spanish giants have cruised to a La Liga triumph and find themselves in the finals of the Champions League yet again. He has made 36 appearances across all competitions, scoring 21 goals and getting 11 assists.

Mbappe looks set to join the star winger at Real Madrid next season and has himself had a fantastic season for Les Parisiens. In 46 games, he has 43 goals and 10 assists.

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Carlo Ancelotti alleviates concerns over Real Madrid star playing through injury

Bellingham suffered a shoulder injury in November.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Jude Bellingham will receive ample rest after a difficult season. Responding to reports that he was taking painkillers to play through games, the Italian stated that the midfielder would be rotated for the remainder of the fixtures.

Ancelotti said (via Goal):

“He’s fine, he’s going to rest like everybody else, he doesn’t need more or less than the others. I’m going to rotate in these four games, he’s going to get in these rotations.”

The 20-year-old missed games early on in the season after suffering a dislocated shoulder. He also had a setback with his ankle in February causing him to be out of action for five games.

Real Madrid can afford to rest Bellingham until the Champions League final as they have clinched the La Liga title with four games to go. He has hit the ground running for Los Blancos since arriving from Dortmund, bagging 22 goals and 10 assists in 39 appearances.