Croatia forced to send home winger
Croatia have suffered another Euro 2024 blow as star midfielder Nikola Vlasic was ruled OUT of the tournament.
Torino attacking schemer Vlasic suffered a thigh injury in the final weeks of the Serie A season but was selected by coach Zlatko Dalic in the hope he would be fit.
Vlasic, 26, was an unused substitute as the World Cup semi-finalists crashed 3-0 to Spain in their opening game.
But now Dalic has revealed he aggravated the injury in training and has been sent home.
In a statement, the Croatian FA confirmed: “Vlasic suffered the injury during training and underwent an MRI with doctor Sasa Jankovic, which revealed a small muscle tear.”
Dalic said: “Nikola invested a lot of effort and energy to help the national team at the Euro and that's why I'm very sorry about this muscle injury he suffered.
“We consciously accepted a certain risk because we had an expanded squad with 26 players.
“Nikola is an integral part of this team. He wanted to be part of the team at the big competition.
“Unfortunately, another injury happened and I can only thank Nikola for his great effort and wish him a speedy recovery and that he returns to the field at his best.”