Shortly after winning the Copa Del Rey at the weekend, Luka Modric publicly made himself available for tonight’s contest against Manchester City, despite having only recovered from a hamstring injury.
The midfielder picked up a ‘zipper’ injury against Girona on April 25. Initial results posed a negative outlook on the player’s fitness, but he was somehow able to recover himself in just a couple of weeks to feature in the last ten minutes of the Copa Del Rey final against Osasuna.
There, the Croatian midfielder announced he is going to be fit to appear in the semifinal first-leg against Man City tonight.
However, a recent report from Sergio Gomez has revealed the potential risks involved in Modric’s health, if he does indeed feature against Man City.
The wounds left by the hamstring injury on April 25 have not fully healed. The midfielder has been playing only by virtue of positive feedback in his recovery process. He was only able to feature in ten minutes against Osasuna.
The report cites doctors suggesting that the ‘zipper’ injuries can be extremely tricky. Modric, in particular, could be running a severe risk of relapse if he plays against Man City tonight.
This type of hamstring injury is indeed difficult to shake off. If he picks up another knock against the Premier League giants, the veteran could be staring at an extended spell on the sidelines – potentially up to several months.
It would see him not only miss the potential Champions League final but also in the UEFA Nations League matches with Croatia in June.
Modric, though, is determined to play for Real Madrid tonight, knowing the game against Man City is as good as the UCL final, given the quality of the opponent. He is putting his commitment to the club ahead of fitness.
However, at the end of the day, the decision will be on Carlo Ancelotti and whether or not he wishes to risk the veteran midfielder or take a more prudent decision, which could see Modric being rested out or featuring for a short period, before getting another week to recover himself.