The Croatian national team doctor has blamed Carlo Ancelotti for Luka Modric's latest injury setback.
Boris Nemec says the Madrid coach has put too much pressure on the midfielder since his return from a long-term thigh injury.
The Croatian suffered his second big injury of the campaign when he sustained knee ligament damage during Saturday's 3-1 victory over Malaga in La Liga.
And Nemec says Ancelotti is to blame for failing to ease the midfielder back into action.
"Ancelotti did not spare Luka at all after he returned from a long-term injury,” he told Nova TV. “He played 90 minutes in every game. Ancelotti put Modric under a lot of pressure, instead of giving him minutes bit by bit. Modric was not injured because of the knocks he received but because he was not 100 per cent fit. If he hadn’t been overworked, his lower leg would not to move to the side under that tackle."
Officials for Croatia and Madrid have not seen eye-to-eye this season. In December national coach Niko Kovac blamed the Spanish giants for overplaying the player when he sustained an injury playing his country against Italy in November. "This injury was produced by the big number of games he has played," said Kovac.
Now Modric will be sidelined for the rest of the season and he may not play for Madrid again this term if they do not progress in the Champions League.