Modric fends off contract talk ahead ahead of PSG showdown

Luka Modric says now is not the time to discuss his future as Real Madrid prepare for a huge Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.

Modric’s contract expires at the end of June but the Croatia captain has expressed his desire to stay at Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid will be counting on the midfield maestro to pull the strings when they attempt to overcome a 1-0 deficit and reach the Champions League quarter-finals with home advantage on Wednesday.

The playmaker says he is in no rush to agree terms on a new deal.

“i don’t really want to talk about this now, there are more important things ahead like Wednesday’s game,” he said. 

“It is a huge game for the club on Wednesday night and i’m only focusing on that match.”

Modric believes the LaLiga leaders have a great chance of advancing on the back of a 4-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad on Saturday.

He said: “Every game is different. The important thing is that we go out and try and do what the coach asks of us.

“The most important thing is that we go out there and show the character, good energy and aggression that we produced against Real Sociedad.

“If we manage to do that, we’ll be in with a very good chance of getting through the tie. We’ll have to give our all.”

@lukamodric10 and long-range goals: a love story#RealFootball pic.twitter.com/mElv4nkwuP

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) March 7, 2022

Los Blancos will be without suspended midfielder Casemiro but Toni Kroos has returned to training after missing the resounding win over Sociedad due to a hamstring injury.

Modric says Casemiro will be missed, but Madrid have no shortage of quality options to replace him.

He added: “Casemiro’s absence is a shame because we all know exactly what he brings to our system, but we’ve got other players who are capable of performing well, such as [Federico] Valverde and [Eduardo] Camavinga.

“I hope that Kroos is involved and I’ll have to do just what I always do and give that little bit extra to cover the job that Casemiro does as he won’t be involved.

“We’re all going to have to give a bit more, particularly on the defensive side of the game. I’m certain that whoever plays tomorrow will go out and perform well.”