Brekalo wins first Croatia call-up for Spain and England matches

Josip Brekalo has been called into the Croatia squad for the first time for this month’s Nations League matches against Spain and England.

The Wolfsburg forward, who is among the nominees for the 2018 Golden Boy award given to the best player under 21 in Europe, has been rewarded for his form for the Under-21 side by head coach Zlatko Dalic.

Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car and CSKA Moscow’s Nikola Vlasic have earned recalls, while Ivan Santini, Marko Livaja and Duje Cop have been left out.

Midfielder Milan Badelj is included in the 25-man squad, despite struggling with injury.

Croatia face Spain on November 15 before a trip to England three days later concludes their Nations League group campaign.

Victory in both games will secure their place in next year’s finals.

#Croatia squad for #NationsLeague encounters with @SeFutbol (15/11, Zagreb) and @England (18/11, London)! #BeProud #Vatreni pic.twitter.com/OzilYD7lwL

— HNS | CFF (@HNS_CFF) November 2, 2018

Croatia squad:

Lovre Kalinic (Gent), Karlo Letica (Club Brugge), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb); Duje Caleta-Car (Marseille), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Antonio Milic (Anderlecht), Matej Mitrovic (Club Brugge), Josip Pivaric (Dynamo Kiev), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Sime Vrsaljko (Inter); Milan Badelj (Lazio), Filip Bradaric (Cagliari), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Marko Rog (Napoli); Josip Brekalo (Wolfsburg), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Ivan Perisic (Inter), Marko Pjaca (Fiorentina), Ante Rebic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Nikola Vlasic (CSKA Moscow).