World Cup 2026: Croatia given huge double injury boost after receiving “first-hand information”

Croatia person received a immense wounded boost regarding Manchester City duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic up of the 2026 World Cup.

Both players are regarded arsenic cardinal first-team players for caput manager Zlatko Dalic, but they person spent lengthy periods of clip successful the Etihad attraction country this season.

Gvardiol played successful 5 of Croatia’s 8 World Cup qualifiers to assistance his federation decorativeness apical of Group L and advancement to this summer’s tourney held successful the United States, Canada and Mexico.

However, the 24-year-old defender suffered a tibial fracture successful his close limb during Man City’s 1-1 Premier League gully with Chelsea connected January 4, necessitating country and respective months of recovery.

Kovacic, meanwhile, underwent country connected an Achilles wounded successful June 2025 earlier needing a 2nd cognition connected the aforesaid contented 5 months later; helium has subsequently been constricted to lone 3 substitute appearances for Man City successful each competitions this season.

Although Kovacic was omitted from the Citizens squad that bushed Premier League rubric rivals Arsenal past weekend, the 31-year-old midfielder is present acceptable and disposable for enactment having taken portion successful grooming sessions implicit the past fewer weeks.

A instrumentality day for Gvardiol is presently unknown, but determination is anticipation that some the defender and 111-cap Kovacic volition beryllium acceptable successful clip to correspond their state astatine the World Cup.

Croatia fixed hopeful fittingness update connected Kovacic, Gvardiol earlier World Cup

Izbornik Zlatko Dalić susreo se večeras s reprezentativcima Mateom Kovačićem one Joškom Gvardiolom, nakon važne pobjede Manchester Cityja nad Arsenalom. Uz izbornika, u Manchester su stigli one tehnički direktor Stipe Pletikosa, trener Vedran Ćorluka one kondicijski trener Luka… pic.twitter.com/4Le10CeF8v

On Sunday, Croatia brag Dalic shared a meal with some Kovacic and Gvardiol successful Manchester, and they were joined by method manager Stipe Pletikosa, first-team manager Vedran Corluka - a erstwhile Man City defender - and fittingness manager Luka Milanovic.

A delegation from the Croatia nationalist team, led by Dalic, past met with Man City manager Pep Guardiola connected Monday to sermon the fittingness of some Kovacic and Gvardiol.

While Guardiola was talented with a Croatian garment with his sanction and No.4 connected the back, Dalic was talented with “first-hand information” connected the betterment of Kovacic and Gvardiol up of the World Cup.

"It's a pleasance to perceive Guardiola speaks with large respect astir Croatian shot and everything the Croatian nationalist squad has achieved successful caller years,” Dalic said arsenic quoted by @HNS_CFF.

"It's bully to perceive however overmuch respect helium speaks astir the playing skills, but besides quality qualities of Mateo and Josko - we're gladsome they person presumption successful 1 of the champion clubs successful the world.

"We've received first-hand accusation astir their recovery, we number connected them to beryllium among our leaders astatine the World Cup, which they tin lone beryllium if they're wholly healthy."

Croatia stars Kovacic, Gvardiol could look England astatine World Cup

Man City person astatine minimum of 7 games remaining crossed the Premier League and FA Cup this season, and Kovacic volition beryllium hoping to diagnostic successful immoderate capableness during a fewer of those earlier the run comes to a close.

Croatia, meanwhile, are scheduled to play 2 affable fixtures against Belgium and Slovenia successful the archetypal week of June successful mentation for the World Cup, fixtures some Kovacic and Gvardiol volition presumably beryllium targeting for their planetary returns.

The imaginable instrumentality to fittingness of the Man City duo for the World Cup volition beryllium of involvement to Thomas Tuchel’s England, who volition look Croatia successful their opening group-stage lucifer astatine the World Cup successful Texas connected June 17.

The Three Lions prevailed successful their astir caller gathering against Croatia who had Kovacic and Gvardiol successful their side, winning 2-1 astatine Wembley successful the radical signifier of the delayed Euro 2020 tourney en way to reaching the final.

England and Croatia - ranked wrong the apical 11 successful the satellite by FIFA - are favourites to advancement from Group L that besides contains Ghana and Panama.