Croatia suspend striker Kalinic

Moscow, June 18: Croatia on Monday suspended striker Nikola Kalinic from its FIFA World Cup squad after he refused to come on as a substitute during the 2-0 win over Nigeria in a Group D clash in Kaliningrad on Saturday, head coach Zlatko Dalic confirmed.

In agreement with his coaching staff, Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic decided to exclude Nikola Kalinic, who leaves Croatia base camp in Roshchino on Monday and returns to Croatia, the Croatian football federation said in a statement.

"During the Nigeria encounter, Kalinic was warming up and was supposed to come on in the second half. However, he then stated that he wasn't ready to come on due to a back issue," the coach said. IANS