Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic must decide whether to risk Josko Gvardiol and Marcelo Brozovic for Saturday's World Cup 2022 third-placed playoff with Morocco at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Inter Milan lynchpin Brozovic had to come off early in the second half against Argentina with discomfort, while Gvardiol has needed injections to play through the pain of a foot problem.

Dalic has insisted that he will put out an XI capable of coming up trumps, but he is also not prepared to rush Gvardiol and Brozovic, and only the former was able to train on Friday.

Dejan Lovren could potentially be partnered by Josip Sutalo in front of Dominik Livakovic, who could be inundated with offers after a remarkable World Cup campaign, but Gvardiol has seemingly recovered adequately enough to keep his place.

Borna Sosa only lasted 45 minutes in the semi-finals following his return from illness, but the Stuttgart man should continue on the left as Josip Stanisic earns a rare start on the opposite side, with Josip Juranovic also absent from training on Friday.

Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic will be joined by a new face in the midfield if Brozovic is ruled out, and the defensive-minded Kristijan Jakic may be preferred over Lovro Majer.

Mario Pasalic was rather ineffective against Argentina and could now cede his place on the right to Nikola Vlasic, although Mislav Orsic is also pushing for inclusion out wide.

Andrej Kramaric has started all six of Croatia's World Cup games and will hope to make that seven here, although his spot is far from secure, while Ivan Perisic will aim for a seventh World Cup goal to take him past Davor Suker at the top of the Checkered Ones' all-time charts.

Croatia possible starting lineup: Livakovic; Stanisic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Jakic, Kovacic; Vlasic, Kramaric, Perisic

> Click here to see how Morocco could line up for this match

Written by
Ben Knapton