Sime Vrsaljko was injured in extra time of Croatia’s quarterfinal win over Russia.
90 Min | Jul 9, 2018
England have been handed a boost following the news that Croatia defender Sime Vrsaljko will miss their World Cup semifinal through injury.
The Atlético Madrid defender was withdrawn from Croatia's quarterfinal tie against Russia after 97 minutes last Saturday, having picked up a serious injury to his left knee.
Vrsaljko will now sit out of the semifinal against England on Wednesday, according to Marca, which will be a huge blow for Croatia following his solid defensive displays in the right back slot over the course of the tournament.
Having played every game so far, Croatia will have to adjust to life without Vrsaljko and it could be a situation that England takes advantage of in preparations leading up to Wednesday's game.
The absence of Vrsaljko could now leave Croatia's right-hand side vulnerable, with Ashley Young, Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard more than capable of exposing a weakened back line.
It is expected that Croatia will shift center back Domagoj Vida into the right back slot, with former Tottenham defender Verdan Corluka slotting into the center of defense alongside Dejan Lovren.
Marca reports that more information regarding the extent of Vrsaljko's injury will become clear on Monday. If the injury were to be serious, he could well miss the start of the 2018-19 La Liga season for Atlético Madrid.