Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol has been left out of the starting lineup, leaving supporters wondering why one of Croatia’s most important players will begin on the bench. Croatia heads into a decisive 2026 World Cup Group L clash against Ghana knowing victory is the only guaranteed route into the knockout stage, but one major surprise has dominated the pre-match discussion. Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol has been left out of the starting lineup, leaving supporters wondering why one of Croatia’s most important players will begin on the bench.
The mystery surrounding Gvardiol’s absence was finally explained shortly before kickoff. According to a report from Sportske Novosti, coach Zlatko Dalic decided to leave the Manchester City defender out of the starting lineup because he has not fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered earlier this year and is still working his way back to peak competitive condition.
Rather than risking one of Croatia’s defensive leaders from the opening whistle, the coaching staff chose to carefully manage his workload with the knockout rounds still a possibility. Ivan Perišic has therefore shifted into the left-back role, while Nikola Vlasic comes into the attacking lineup to add creativity against what Croatia expects will be a compact Ghana defense.
*More to follow…