Real Madrid have been rocked by a tendon injury suffered by Luka Modric while on international duty with Croatia.
Modric broke down during the first-half of Croatia's Euro qualifier with Italy.
According to Real Madrid’s club doctors, the midfielder suffered a tear of the left proximal rectus femoris tendon. That means he is set to miss between 12 and 16 weeks of first-team action and will not return to play, in all likelihood, until February 2015, according to several sources.
"I felt a very strong pain in the upper part of my thigh. It still hurts. It is a shame, but football is like that," said Modric.