AC Milan confirm Luka Modric requires surgery yet expected to recover in time for World Cup

Luka Modric sustained the injury during a head collision with Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli amid Sundays 0-0 stalemate at the San Siro. He departed the pitch with ten minutes still to play.

Despite evident discomfort Modric stayed on the substitutes bench through to the final whistle without any medical intervention but after assessment he faces surgery on Monday afternoon.

AC Milan hold third position in the league table trailing frontrunners Inter Milan by 12 points across their last four fixtures and Modric appears unlikely to contribute during this closing stretch. A face guard could prove necessary if he regains fitness ahead of the World Cup.

The World Cup jointly organised by the U.S. Canada and Mexico commences on June 11 while Croatia will encounter England Ghana and Panama within Group L.