Luka Modrić has confirmed his availability for Croatia's Nations League campaign, joining up with the national team despite widespread expectation that he would retire from international football after the World Cup.
Milan face a punishing run of seven matches in 18 days once the break ends, so the 41-year-old's workload over the next fortnight is far from academic for Ruben Amorim.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, many assumed Modrić's exit from the pitch at Toronto Stadium on 3 July, after Croatia's World Cup defeat to Portugal, would be his last in national colours. New head coach Slaven Bilić, who handed Modrić his first senior caps during a six-year stint in charge and managed him at U21 level as far back as 2004, moved quickly to test the water after his reappointment. No public announcement came from the player, but Bilić's persistence paid off: the Croatian federation confirmed Modrić's continued involvement on 5 September. He was among 15 Milan players to depart for international duty following the victory over Lecce.
The schedule facing Croatia is demanding. They travel to the Czech Republic on Saturday before hosting World Champions Spain on Tuesday, then welcome England on 3 October and face Spain again three days later. Four matches of that calibre in the space of a fortnight would test any midfielder, let alone one who turns 42 before the season is out.
Gazzetta report that Amorim's hope is straightforward: that Bilić uses Modrić selectively, leaning on his experience from the bench where possible rather than running him into the ground across all four fixtures. The former Ballon d'Or winner's ability to influence a dressing room and guide younger team-mates is well documented, and a part-time role would serve both Croatia and Milan.
What matters most from a Rossoneri perspective is the state Modrić returns in. That late-October fixture pile-up leaves no room for passengers or for a midfield leader operating on fumes, and Amorim will be watching the minutes column from Clairefontaine to Zagreb with one eye firmly on his own calendar.