Strinić Out of Brazil as Croatia Hold First Training Session

The Croatian national football team officially started preparations for the World Cup in Brazil yesterday, with their first training session in front of 200 fans at Hrvatski dragovoljac Stadium in Zagreb…

Head coach Niko Kovač had Ivica Olić, Dejan Lovren, Ivan Perišić, Nikica Jelavić, Mario Pašalić and Oliver Zelenika at his disposal for the first session, while Vedran Ćorluka did not partake as a precautionary measure after Wednesday’s medical testing. The rest of the squad will arrive in Zagreb throughout the week, with Luka Modrić, who is involved in the Champions League final on the weekend, and Niko Kranjčar, who will be paying for QPR at Wembley also on the weekend, will be the last of the squad to arrive.

Defender Ivan Strinić has been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury, leaving Kovač with a headache in the left back department. Medical test for players were conducted at the Faculty of Kinesiology and the Magdalena Clinic, under the supervision of the medical staff chief Zoran Bahtijarević also yesterday. (pic: Drago Sopta HNS)