Luka Modric out for two to three weeks as Real Madrid suffer yet another injury

Real Madrid have problems in midfield ahead of a busy period of games after Luka Modric was the latest player to be ruled out with an injury on Thursday.

The Croatian midfielder has been diagnosed with an adductor problem on his return from international duty and is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

"Following the tests carried out today on our player Luka Modric by Real Madrid's medical department, he has been diagnosed with a muscular injury to the adductor in his right leg," the club said in a statement on their website.

Madrid have suffered a spate of injuries since July and midfield is an area of concern, with Marco Asensio out with a long-term problem, Isco and James Rodriguez hurt before the international break and Brahim Diaz also out for a number of weeks, although the last two are now back in contention ahead of the weekend.

Zinedine Zidane's side are at home to Levante on Saturday and then travel to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night amid a period of seven games in the space of three weeks.

Real were already short in that area, having not signed a new midfielder in the summer, while Dani Ceballos left on loan to join Arsenal and Marcos Llorente joined Atletico.

With James and Brahim perhaps not ready to start, that leaves only Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Fede Valverde, with the Brazilian and the Uruguayan expected back late from their long trips to South America in the international break, allowing them hardly any time to recover or train ahead of Madrid's 13:00 kick-off against Levante on Saturday.