Croatia will play Switzerland in a friendly match in St. Gallen on March 5th, and Croatia head coach Niko Kovač has faced a couple of injury concerns.

HSV's Ivo Iličević has a right thigh problem, and after the consultations of the Croatia medical staff with the club medical staff, with the approval of Niko Kovač, it has been decided that Iličević will continue his rehabilitation in Hamburg.

Another midfielder, Niko Kranjčar of QPR, has renewed his hamstring injury at the training session. Therefore, he will need time to recover and miss the international friendly.

Young defender Igor Bubnjić has sustained a muscle injury during the club friendly between his Udinese and Hajduk. The club and national team medical staff, again with Niko Kovač's approval, have decided that Bubnjić will continue his rehabilitation in Udine.

Striker Leon Benko will miss the Switzerland match after signing with Chinese side Dalian from Rijeka, and arranging with coach Kovač to skip the St. Gallen trip, considering the period necessary to settle at the new club.

The list of candidates has thus been shortened to 23 names, and 18 players will eventually travel to Switzerland.

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subašić (Monaco)

Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Vedran Ćorluka (Lokomotiv), Dejan Lovren (Southampton), Danijel Pranjić (Panathinaikos), Gordon Schildenfeld (Panathinaikos), Šime Vrsaljko (Genoa), Ivan Strinić (Dnipro), Hrvoje Milić (Rostov)

Midfielders: Ivan Rakitić (Sevilla), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Perišić (Wolfsburg), Mateo Kovačić (Inter), Milan Badelj (HSV), Mate Maleš (Rijeka), Ognjen Vukojević (Dynamo Kiev)

Strikers: Mario Mandžukić (Bayern), Ivica Olić (Wolfsburg), Eduardo Alves da Silva (Shakhtar), Nikica Jelavić (Hull City), Ante Rebić (Fiorentina).