Five Disappointed: These Players Missed Out on Bilic’s First Croatia Squad

Slaven Bilic’s first Croatia squad of his second term has left five players out, and the pattern is familiar: reduced club playing time or disappointing form. Most of them had also received limited opportunities for the national team in recent months.

Bilic selected his squad for a demanding Nations League cycle featuring four matches. Croatia will visit the Czech Republic in Prague on September 26 and Spain in Seville on September 29, before hosting England in Rijeka on October 3 and Spain at Poljud on October 6.

Compared with Zlatko Dalic’s last squad, announced in late May ahead of the World Cup, the new list does not include Duje Caleta-Car, the most capped of the five omitted players. The 29-year-old defender returned to Lyon after a loan spell at Real Sociedad but did not receive a minute under coach Paulo Fonseca. He recently transferred to Serie A club Sassuolo, where he has yet to make his debut. Caleta-Car has therefore played no competitive football this season and watched all four of Croatia’s World Cup matches from the substitutes’ bench.

Marin Pongracic, 28, has won 23 caps and played every minute against Panama, Ghana and Portugal at the World Cup. But he and Fiorentina made a poor start to the season. He has played 69 minutes across two appearances and was particularly criticized for his display in a 3-0 home defeat by Frosinone. He was subsequently left on the bench against Torino.

Limited playing time likely cost Kristijan Jakic, who has made 17 appearances for Croatia and scored twice. The Augsburg midfielder has played only in a German Cup match against Energie Cottbus this season, scoring during a 27-minute appearance. He has not played in either of Augsburg’s first two Bundesliga matches or at the World Cup. Bologna midfielder Nikola Moro, who has 10 Croatia appearances, also did not receive World Cup minutes. The source text ends while describing his role at Bologna.