Croatia star Ivan Rakitic will miss Sunday's Uefa Nations League decider against England at Wembley after being ruled out through injury.
The Barcelona playmaker suffered a hamstring problem and was forced off during Croatia's 3-2 win over Spain on Thursday - a result which means top spot in their Nations League group is still up for grabs.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic confirmed that Rakitic will now miss Sunday's trip to Wembley, which will boost England's chances of qualifying for next summer's Nations League Finals.
Without Rakitic, Dalic faces a tough call over whether to drop his recently preferred 4-2-3-1 formation and revert to the 4-1-4-1 set-up he used during the World Cup.
Much of the creative pressure will now rest on Luka Modric's shoulders, and Rakitic's absence could see Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate opt for a more adventurous midfield selection.
Nations League A, Group 4 permutations
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Spain | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | England | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Croatia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 4 |
- If England beat Croatia, they will win the group and progress to the Nations League finals, with Spain dropping into second place while Croatia go down.
- If England draw 0-0 with Croatia, they will finish second in the group, with Spain reaching the finals and Croatia suffering relegation.
- However, a score draw at Wembley will see England relegated, as of course will defeat to Croatia. Spain would be knocked into second spot if Zlatko Dalic's men triumph in London to top the group.
