Croatia midfielder Nikola Vlasic will miss the remainder of Euro 2024 due to a muscle injury, the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) announced on Tuesday.
Vlasic, who plays for Torino, sustained the injury during a training session. An MRI scan later confirmed a torn muscle, though the federation did not provide additional details about the nature of the injury.
The 26-year-old was on the bench during Croatia’s 3-0 defeat to Spain in their tournament opener on Saturday but did not play. Prior to the competition, Vlasic had also suffered an adductor injury but was eventually cleared to join the squad in Germany.
“Nikola invested a lot of effort to help the team at Euro 2024, and he is an integral part of the squad,” said Croatia’s coach Zlatko Dalic in an HNS statement. “Unfortunately, this second injury happened, and I can only thank Nikola for his great effort and wish him a speedy recovery.”
Vlasic expressed his disappointment, saying, “I’m extremely sorry I can’t continue playing with my team. I’ve done everything possible to be ready. I believe in this team and I’m sure they will succeed — I’ll be their biggest fan!”
Croatia is looking to bounce back in their Euro 2024 campaign against Albania on Wednesday, with the “golden generation” aiming to avoid a disappointing exit after the heavy loss to Spain.
The Croatian team has experienced remarkable success since reaching the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, where they lost to France. They finished third at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and were runners-up to Spain in the Nations League final last year.
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