Luka Modric has joined a growing list of players to suffer a significant injury with less than two months until the 2026 World Cup. After sustaining a fracture, his season with AC Milan is over, but the legendary midfielder is expected to recover in time to represent Croatia on the world stage.
Hosting the Derby dei Campioni at San Siro on Sunday, Milan were unable to find a winner in a 0-0 draw that did little to help their Champions League qualification push. In the 80th minute, Modric went up for an aerial duel with Manuel Locatelli, with the Juventus midfielder’s head making violent contact with the left side of his face, forcing the Croatian off the pitch.
The club’s official statement confirmed the severity of the injury. “Diagnostic tests carried out today highlighted a fracture of the left cheekbone which will require surgical intervention, scheduled for the coming hours. Further details will be communicated following the operation,” the statement read.
With the fracture requiring surgery, the recovery timeline rules Modric out for the remainder of Milan’s domestic campaign. Expected to be sidelined until late May, the Rossoneri will be without their Croatian star for the final four games of the Serie A season.
Luka Modric of AC Milan is assisted off by medical staff after going down injured.
AC Milan lose a key player in Champions League qualification push
In his first season at AC Milan, Modric established himself as the team’s standout performer. Despite modest counting stats of two goals and three assists in 36 appearances, his influence on the club has been far more profound, serving as the engine of the midfield with 60.3 passes completed per game at an efficiency rate of 91%, a level of quality that has kept Milan firmly in the mix for a return to Europe’s elite. His absence could not come at a worse time.
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Milan currently sit third in the Serie A standings with 67 points, with Juventus breathing down their necks at 64, and both Como and Roma still in contention at 61 points apiece. With just four fixtures remaining in the 2025-26 season against Sassuolo, Atalanta, Genoa and Cagliari, seven points would see the Rossoneri secure Champions League play on their own terms, but coach Massimiliano Allegri now faces a significant challenge in filling the void left by Modric.
Modric expected to be fit for the World Cup
While both his season and his contract with AC Milan are drawing to a close, Modric has every reason to be optimistic about making it to the 2026 World Cup in North America. According to Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti, the midfielder is expected to be sidelined until late May but is on track to be fit for Croatia’s tournament opener against England on June 17.
His availability for the warm-up friendlies against Belgium on June 2 and Slovenia on June 7 will depend entirely on how his recovery progresses in the weeks ahead. What does appear increasingly likely is that Modric will be wearing a protective face mask for much of the tournament as he makes his return.
