Croatia coach wishes injured Luka Modric speedy recovery

Real Madrid have missed Luka Modric as he has only been able to play a bit part role for them this season

Zagreb, April 20 (IANS): Croatian head coach Niko Kovac has wished his country's star midfielder Luka Modric speedy recovery from a serious injury sustained in Real Madrid's La Liga match against Malaga.

"I spoke with Luka and wished him a speedy recovery. I know it's not easy for him as he was again playing at his best and we could see how important he is for Real Madrid," Kovac said in the statement released on Sunday on the website of the Croatian Football Federation, reports Xinhua.

"We all know how important Luka is for our team. I don't doubt that he will do everything to recover well. I still hope that he will be ready for the match against Italy but we will not force him. His health is the most important," Kovac added.

Modric went to ground on Saturday in the 57th minute of Liga match against Malaga and his facial expression showed he was in tremendous pain. Real Madrid won the match 3-1.

Modric, 29, suffered another serious injury spraining his right knee medial collateral ligament. Tests carried out on Sunday at the Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja by the Real Madrid medical services confirmed the worst fears – Modric will be out of action for around six weeks.

For Real Madrid, that means they will have to chase Barcelona in the La Liga title race without the help of one of their best midfielders. They can only hope for his return in time for the Champions League final on June 6 in Berlin. But there is still a long road to that match awaiting the title holders.

First, they have to overtake local rivals Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals after a 0-0 draw at Vicente Calderon Stadium in the first leg. If they are successful, then they will still have to beat one of the top European clubs in two semi-final clashes.

Modric has only 16 La Liga appearances this season and 25 overall for the "Los Blancos" as he spent four months healing his left hamstring muscle he injured doing international duty for Croatia in November 2014.

He returned to action on March 2015. The new injury puts Modric in doubt for Croatia's qualifiers in June when Kovac's troops take on Italy.