Luka Modrić injured his adductor muscle against Bulgaria, and was substituted at half-time. Croatia head coach Ante Čačić replaced him with Milan Badelj.
On Sunday, medical examination confirmed that this injury will not allow Modrić to play at Malta on Tuesday.
Luka Modrić will miss Croatian trip to Malta after suffering a minor injury against Bulgaria. Luka, get well soon! #EuroQualifiers #Croatia
— HNS | CFF (@HNS_CFF) October 11, 2015
"Luka Modrić undertook an MRI scan that confirmed a minimal edema. Therefore, Modrić will not be available for Malta encounter, considering the inadequate timespan for complete recovery", said Croatia national team doctor Boris Nemec.