A champion like Luka Modric has shown it once again over the course of this season at the age of 40 in Serie A: he is certainly not the type of player who lets others walk all over him—neither with the ball at his feet nor in terms of leadership. For this reason, perhaps, people were a bit too quick to write “the end” on his Milan season after his cheekbone injury. Luka wants to return and wants to secure a Champions League place, keeping his future as open as possible.
Luka Modric at Milanello
Even though only around ten days have passed since the injury and the subsequent operation, yesterday Luka showed up at Milanello. Early in the morning, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, he went to have his stitches removed at the Madonnina clinic, and by 10 a.m. he was at the training centre in Carnago, having breakfast and meeting some teammates. He has begun physiotherapy work in the gym, mainly aimed at reducing the swelling in his face. Only in about a week will there be another check-up to assess the condition of his face, after which they can proceed with creating a protective mask that will also serve as a 'pass-partout' for the World Cup.
Rapid recovery for the Champions League
Modric is like a raging storm; the newspaper writes that the player is eager to get back on the pitch. If it were up to him, he would already play against Atalanta this weekend, but as mentioned, there is not enough time to prepare the mask and he would not yet be ready. He will be at San Siro to support the team. The target then becomes the penultimate matchday away at Genoa, for which Luka wants at least to be named on the bench.
It remains to be seen whether the recovery process outlined above will proceed without setbacks. Realistically, as has also emerged in recent hours, Modric could be on the pitch in the final round against Cagliari. In any case, it would be a remarkably quick recovery: two or three weeks instead of the six initially expected. And the Croatian star’s motivation is not only the World Cup but also the Champions League: the Rossoneri midfielder is determined to achieve the season’s objective and give himself an extra opportunity for the future. With top-level European football (and with Allegri), the chances of him staying would increase, and he would therefore be more inclined to say yes when the time comes to decide.
