Real Madrid’s Luka Modric has picked up a hamstring injury which could rule him unavailable for the second-leg fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Luka Modric was absent from Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Real Betis and with good reason. The Croatian midfielder has sustained a hamstring injury and with its severity kept under the wraps, there is no known expected date of return.
Real Madrid announced on their official page a statement about Modric’s injury. The release is as follows “Following tests carried out on our player Luka Modric by the Sanitas Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in the biceps femoris of the right leg. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”
Your hamstrings technically aren’t a muscle but a muscle group comprised of thebiceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. They are responsible for hip extension. Target your biceps femoris more heavily doing romanian deadlift. (Thread continues below) pic.twitter.com/UYA7yKFyaA
— Melissa Letellier (@letler24fit) January 9, 2018
The biceps femoris is the anatomical term for one of the three minor muscle groups that make up what is more commonly known as the hamstring. With the severity of the injury unknown, the window in which he may return is just as questionable. Of course, Zidane is hoping to have the midfield conductor back as soon as possible.
In today’s pre-match presser Zizou commented on Modric’s injury saying “He didn’t train with us today and we’re hoping he’ll be back with us shortly. I think it’s only a little problem, I have faith in all the people who work here, in the physios and doctors, hopefully, it’s nothing serious and he’ll be back with us soon”.
Modric played an important role in last weeks 3-1 win to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League but may not be available for the return leg. He is now the third player after Marcelo and Toni Kroos to join the injury list at the Bernabeu. Kroos picked up a knee injury after the PSG game and Marcelo limped off the pitch in this weekends match against Real Betis.
Busy Schedule
Real are being put through their paces in the month of February as they have seven matches in their schedule. With just 28 days in the month, this is without a doubt a very testing time for the club. In addition to being in contention for just one trophy, the Champions League, it is crucial that the first team stays fit.
Luka Modric is 32 years old and not getting any younger, in being such a vital player for Real Madrid he’s racked up a fair amount of minutes this season. Modric is currently ranked seventh in minutes played under Zidane this season with just under 3, 400 minutes over the course of 30 games.
The numerous fixtures and travels that come with the role have surely taken a toll on his body. As there is no visible injury that was sustained in gameplay it is likely that the cause of the injury was due to fatigue. Tired muscles and short periods of recovery time have now left him sidelined. It would be in Zidane’s best interest to start breeding some of the younger players to slide in for Modric for some games.
What Now?
The probable replacements for Luka Modric between now and upon his return would include Mateo Kovacic, Marco Asensio or even Lucas Vazquez. With Mateo being the like for like substitute it would make the most sense to play the Croation. Marco Asensio, on the other hand, has been red hot in the past couple of matches in which has featured. Lucas Vazquez is more of a winger and not so much one to build the attack of play but could be a viable option. Zizou certainly has a head scratcher for tomorrow with Modric unavailable.
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In this moment Zidane and his squad must dig deep and look down the bench to ensure a positive result in Paris. Youngsters like Mateo Kovacic and Lucas Vazquez will most likely be stepping in to fill the role of their teammate who may be unavailable, let’s just hope they are on their A-game. The maturity and poise of players like Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Casemiro will certainly increase the morale ahead of the mid-March fixture.