Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic, who had named one extra player for his provisional World Cup squad, today announced that defender Matej Mitovic was the man being dropped.
Mitrovic had not played for Belgian champions Club Brugge since April 19 and Dalic said that was one of the reasons the defender was cut.
"I've been thinking a lot about this, and since the beginning I was saying that one defender will be removed and I stuck to that," Dalic told reporters.
"This is my choice and I stand by it."
"We are doing our job and nothing will unhinge us."
Croatia squad:
Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco/FRA), Lovre Kalinic (Gent/BEL), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas/TUR), Ivan Strinic (Sampdoria/ITA), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool/ENG), Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Josip Pivaric (Dinamo Kiev/UKR), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Duje Caleta-Car (Salzburg/AUT)
Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid/ESP), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona/ESP), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid/ESP), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina/ITA), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan/ITA), Filip Bradaric (Rijeka)
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