Luka Modric expected to return for World Cup after surgery on cheekbone fracture

AC Milan and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric is set to miss the rest of the season but is expected to return in time for the World Cup after undergoing surgery on a cheekbone fracture.Milan confirmed in a club statement on Monday that Modric, 40, had undergone successful surgery on a “complex, multi-fragment fracture” to his left cheek bone. “The club wishes Luka a speedy recovery ahead of the FIFA World Cup,” a Milan statement read. The Croatia captain sustained the injury as he competed for a header with Manuel Locatelli during the second half of Milan’s 0-0 draw with Juventus at San Siro on Sunday. The pair collided and both players went down, with Modric receiving treatment on the field before leaving the pitch in the 80th minute holding an icepack to his cheek. He is set to miss Milan’s final four matches of the 2025-26 Serie A season against Sassuolo, Atalanta, Genoa and Cagliari. Milan are third in Serie A. Modric moved to the club from Real Madrid last summer and has made 36 appearances across all competitions this term. Croatia begin their 2026 World Cup group stage campaign against England on June 17 at AT&T Stadium. They have also been drawn alongside Ghana and Panama at this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Modric has made 196 appearances for Croatia, scoring 28 goals, and captained the side to the final of the 2018 World Cup.