Football fans from around the world will again witness an epic "El Clasico" duel between Real Madrid and Barcelona on October 26, but the Los Blancos are likely to miss a key player.
Midfielder Luka Modric suffered an injury while battling for Croatia at a Euro 2020 qualifying and reports have indicated the star is unlikely to recover in time for the Saturday La Liga match.
The Euro match between Croatia and Wales, which ended in a draw, 1-1, proved a nightmare for Real Madrid. Not only was Modric got hurt, his teammate Gareth Bale, who suited for the opposing team, was likewise injured.
However, it was Modric's case that likely will make Real team manager Zinedine Zidane worry a bit. It appeared that the Croatian will be sidelined for a number of days following a foul he committed while tackling Wales' Harry Wilson.
"A crunching knee collision saw the Ballon d'Or winner floored, and he had to be hauled off by medical staff while also receiving a yellow card," the Daily Star reported.
Shortly after the incident, Bale was seen exiting the field and supposedly in need of medical attention, the report added.
Bale complained of pain on his knee, according to Football Espana, which was preceded by cramps in the last minutes of the qualifying match. It was understood, however, that Bale will be ready to play again after only days of rest.
He and Modric are expected to be back in Span on Monday, the report added.
Modric, though, will require more medical exams to check on the seriousness of his injury. This despite the assurance of the player's camp that the incident is nothing to be worried about, both by Real officials and the club's fans.
Per Fox Sports, the Croatian midfielder will require up to three days of rest and he'll be ready to play. This was based on the update provided by Zlatko Dalic, head coach for the Croatian national team.
" Modric got hit in the muscle, which is awkward and quite painful, so he had to go off," Dalic was reported as saying.
He added that initial assessment from doctors indicated that the Real midfielder is tipped for "a swift recovery."
Still, it remains unsure if Modric will be healthy enough once Real Madrid takes on Barcelona at Camp Nou for the 10th round of La Liga. The match will also serve as the first El Clasico for the current season with the second, also within La Liga, likely to be played at Santiago Bernabeu in early April or late March.