CROATIA midfielder Ivan Rakitic will miss the winner-takes-all Nations League game against England at Wembley due to injury, manager Zlatko Dalic said Friday. Barcelona’s Rakitic came off in the 67th minute of the 3-2 home win over Spain on Thursday, which gave Croatia the chance to top League A Group 4 and claim a place in next year’s four-team finals. “He will go to Barcelona, it’s a serious injury. You know that I usually take no risk. If there is a doubt that the injury could be serious, then we let him rest,” Dalic told Sky Sports. He did not specify the injury but Rakitic left the pitch in Zagreb suffering discomfort in the back of his right thigh. “We want healthy players and Ivan in this moment is not 100 percent ready. Unfortunately, we are going to play without him.” Rakitic, 30, has played 102 games for Croatia.(SD-Agencies) |