Luka Modric injured: will the Real Madrid midfielder be fit for the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City?

Real Madrid have been dealt a huge blow ahead of two crucial fixtures which are likely to define their season. Ballon d’Or winning midfielder Luka Modric, who has verbally agreed a new contract at the club, has suffered a hamstring injury only eight days before they are due to face Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final and with the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City only 11 days away.

Modric “out for two weeks”

There were various reports that Modric had been forced to sit out training on Friday, with the initial prognosis suggesting that he would be a doubt for both matches. However, it was soon revealed that the 37-year-old would in fact be absent for two weeks because of a hamstring tear, which means, barring a miraculous recovery, that he will miss the cup final in Seville on Saturday 6 May and the titanic clash against City, which comes only three days later.

Modric will also sit out Madrid’s next two LaLiga matches, a home game against Almería on Saturday and the away game at Real Sociedad on Tuesday. Provided the forecast of him missing two weeks of action is correct, the next game he would be available for would be the fixture against Getafe at Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday 13 May. Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti will be desperate to have one of his star men back at full fitness for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, which will be played at the Etihad on Wednesday 17 May.

Ancelotti’s Modric hope

In his pre-match press conference before the LaLiga fixture against Almería, however, the Italian said that he “didn’t know if Modric would be fit for the Copa del Rey”, suggesting that the club haven’t given up all hope of him being available again much earlier than scheduled.

Modric in and out of the Real Madrid team

Ancelotti has given the Croat plenty of rest throughout the season to ensure that he would be at peak fitness for Real Madrid’s biggest matches. Although Modric has featured in all but two of 31 LaLiga matches, he’s played from the start in only 17 of them and has completed the full 90 minutes on only three occasions. In the Champions League, the former Spurs playmaker has played only one full game, although he has started seven of their nine games in the competition this season.