Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić is confident that veteran captain Luka Modrić will recover in time from a cheekbone fracture to play at the World Cup in summer.

Modrić, 40, suffered the injury while playing for AC Milan in a Serie A match against Juventus on Sunday and has undergone surgery.

The World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada starts on June 11 and Croatia's first match is on June 17 against England. Panama and Ghana are the other group stage opponents.

Milan said that Modrić underwent successful surgery on "a complex, multi-fragment fracture of the left zygomatic bone" and wished him "a speedy recovery ahead of the FIFA World Cup."

Dalić is upbeat that the former World Player of the Year will be fit in time to play at a fifth World Cup.

"I've been talking to Luka, and wished him a successful surgery and a quality and speedy recovery. I am convinced that he will do everything to be ready for the World Cup, and we'll provide full support," he said in a Croatian Football Federation (HNS) statement on X late Monday.

"I am confident that the recovery will go according to plan and that Luka, as team captain, will lead us at another major competition this summer."

Modrić joined Milan last summer after a trophy-laden 13 years at Real Madrid, including six Champions League titles.

He has a record 196 Croatia caps, scoring 28 goals and helping the team to a runner-up finish at the 2018 World Cup and third place in 2022.