Thanks to the win two nights ago over the Faroe Islands, Luka Modric’s Croatia secured a spot at next summer’s World Cup in North America. The result matters for the national team and for Milan’s number 14, who will now take part in his fifth straight World Cup.
Milan marked the news on their social channels, aware that this qualification means Modric will be managed and will rest against Montenegro. He will not return to Milanello early, but the fact he will almost surely be spared for the next match brings relief to Massimiliano Allegri and his staff, because next Sunday brings the derby.
Luka Modric, focus on Milan and the derby:
The Croatian will stay with his national team until the end, as a leader, but it is fair to think that after securing qualification his mind is already shifting toward Sunday’s match against Inter. Modric knows the weight of these fixtures, because he played many derbies with Tottenham and later with Real Madrid.
He could have played the Milan derby in black and blue from 2018 onward, yet he chose to stay at Real Madrid and, a few Champions Leagues and a Ballon d’Or later, join Milan’s project. So Modric will face Inter in a Milan shirt after meeting the same rivals during his years with Spurs and Real, with six previous matches and five wins.
