Ivan Rakitic joins Luka Modric in Croatia sickbay
Barcelona's Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic (left) and Moenchengladbach's forward Lars Stindl vie for the ball during their Uefa Champions League Group C match at the Borussia Park in Moenchengladbach on September 28, 2016. PHOTO | ODD ANDERSEN |
What you need to know:
- All six teams in Group I have a single point from matchday one of the European qualifiers in a tough-looking pool which also includes Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine.
BARCELONA
Croatia's midfield general Ivan Rakitic has pulled out of World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Finland because of a painful Achilles tendon, his club Barcelona said on Tuesday.
The loss is a major headache for Croatia coach Ante Cacic because his other top midfielder, Real Madrid's Luka Modric, has already been ruled out of the games on Thursday and Sunday by a knee injury.
All six teams in Group I have a single point from matchday one of the European qualifiers in a tough-looking pool which also includes Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine.
Croatia were one of the more exciting teams at Euro 2016 where they ran Spain ragged in a 2-1 group phase win before a wily Portugal edged the Croats 1-0 in extra-time of the quarter-finals.
