Changing Course: Real Madrid and Serbian Federation Agree - Jovic to travel for international duty

Just yesterday it seemed that Luka Jovic would forgoe international duty to stay in Madrid for preseason. Fears of a post-international duty 14 day quarantine would have ruled Jovic out of the start of the La Liga campaign. Despite the possibility of a quarantine, Real Madrid and the Serbian Federation have come to an agreement to allow the player to travel for international duty, according to a new report from AS.

Luka Jovic has not been a part of the Serbian squad for about a year. He was accused of not reporting for national team duty with a minor injury in November and then was publicly reprimanded by the Serbian prime minister when he broke COVID lock down protocols in April. Despite the desire to stay in Madrid and earn Zidane’s trust, the player may feel indebted to his nation.

It’s unclear how much playing time Luka Jovic will get while away on international duty. He has historically been behind Mitrovic in the pecking order for head coach, Ljubiša Tumbaković. Serbia will take on Russia and Turkey in the UEFA Nations League and Madrid supporters will hope Jovic gets some minutes to improve his fitness levels and increase his confidence upon return to the Spanish capital.