Kovacic offers example of his worth for Croatia

IT might only have been Gibraltar, but the 69 minutes Mateo Kovacic played for Croatia in their World Cup qualifying win against the European minnows on Sunday would have felt significant.

- By TYRONE MARSHALL

The midfielder had Achilles surgery in the summer and hadn't kicked a ball since being sent-off against Bournemouth on May 20. He was an unused substitute for Manchester City against Burnley, Monaco and Brentford and was again kicking his heels on the bench as Croatia drew with the Czech Republic on Thursday night.

Now, he has his first competitive minutes under his belt and, after nearly a month back in training, can focus on getting back to action for his club side. He has lost momentum after what was an encouraging 2024/25 season.