Rakitić and Pjaca injured, Čačić requires high level

Croatia head coach Ante Čačić held a press conference at the beginning of the national team week, which will include an Osijek encounter with the Israelis on Wednesday, and a visit to Hungary in Budapest on Saturday.

Čačić decided to call-up no replacements for the injured Ivan Rakitić of Barcelona (calf) and Marko Pjaca of Dinamo (shoulder). Rakitić's injury was confirmed after a MRI scan on Tuesday.

"There is not enough time for many training sessions, and we want to test the players during the matches with Israel and Hungary, to give them as many minutes as possible. We want to find out as much as possible about our team, while the squad list for the EURO 2016 is not yet final. There will be some changes in our system, too", said coach Čačić.

Croatia expects a warm welcome in Osijek, where the players will wear the new kit for the first time.

"I am glad that the reactions are positive and that we can present the new jersey in Osijek. Fans are special there, and we want to respond with the best possible performance, to show our quality. The outcome is always important and we need to do all that we can to achieve a positive one. The Osijek encounter will be a real test for the Israelis and this requires a high level from us, while Hungary is a EURO 2016 participant just as we are. They invested heavily in football", he added.

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