"I played some great football, but I also had a lot of bad luck with injuries", said Modric, who has been voted Croatia's Player of the Year for a third straight season.

Modric said it had been "really tough not being able to help Real Madrid in the Champions League". "I missed key games, but what can you do? Onwards and upwards", the midfielder told newspaper 'Sportske Novosti'.

The Real Madrid number 19 player picked up a thigh injury on 16th November 2014 in Croatia's Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy.

Having only just recovered, he then suffered another setback in April, a sprain to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, picked up during the game against Málaga. The injury ruled him out for the rest of the season and will also see him miss Croatia's game against Italy on 12th June in Split.

"I'm better, but not fit enough to play yet. I'll be there, cheering on my national team and I think my teammates are going to get a good result", said Modric, who added that his country's biggest disadvantage is playing without fans behind closed doors.

UEFA punished Croatia with a match behind closed doors following racist chants and the use of flares and fireworks in previous games, as well as a