Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is missing for Croatia in their crucial UEFA Nations League clash against England on Sunday with a leg injury, according to BBC journalist Ian Dennis.
Dennis, senior football reporter for Radio 5 Live, claimed on his personal Twitter account on Sunday afternoon that the 24-year-old midfielder had suffered a leg muscle injury.
Mateo Kovacic doesn’t feature for Croatia either due to a leg muscle injury. #CFC
— Ian Dennis (@Iandennisbbc) November 18, 2018
Kovacic has become a regular for Maurizio Sarri this season since his season-long loan from Real Madrid in the summer, making 15 appearances in all competitions.
OPINION
This will be a worrying update for Chelsea, with Kovacic slowly become a favourite of Sarri at Stamford Bridge. The 24-year-old Croatia international is a highly accomplished central midfielder who bring a sense of calm and poise to the Chelsea ranks. His passing range has been on show for the Blues this season as he has forced his way into the starting XI after his loan from Real, and the club will obviously hope this injury is not a serious one for Kovacic. Dennis provides no hint as to the extent of the injury, so it is anyone’s guess at the moment how long the Chelsea midfielder will be sidelined for. From a Croatian point of view this is also a big blow, with a place in the Nations League semi-finals at stake on Sunday. A win puts them through, while a loss leads to relegation, and rarely have the stakes been so high for an international game outside of a major tournament.