Kolkata: Croatia head coach Igor Stimac has identified Martin Baturina and Petar Susic as potential successors to Luka Modric. Stimac praised the attacking midfielder and central midfielder for their abilities and potential to fill the void left by Modric's eventual retirement.
The former Croatia international and head coach believes Baturina can bring strength and ability to the team, while Susic is similar to Marcelo Brozovic and has the potential to be even higher quality.
Stimac also expressed concerns about the team's readiness for the World Cup, citing the long injury breaks of Josko Gvardiol, Modric, and Mateo Kovacic.
Despite these concerns, Stimac is confident in his team's ability to handle pressure and win medals in the World Cup.
Croatia will face England in their opening game of Group L, and Stimac believes a point against each other would be a good result, given the difficulty of their next opponent, Ghana.
