Sport

Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic plans to speak privately with Dejan Lovren after the Liverpool defender's unsavoury comments about Sergio Ramos on social media.

Thursday night's 3-2 win over Spain in Zagreb means plenty is at stake for World Cup finalists Croatia against England at Wembley on Sunday.

Lovren is expected to feature but caused controversy after Thursday's victory when he criticised Ramos in an Instagram story, which has since expired.

The 29-year-old appeared to suggest he had elbowed the Real Madrid defender and Spain captain, who was involved in the clash which ended Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah's participation in May's Champions League final.

It is unclear if UEFA will take disciplinary action, while Dalic said: "I will talk personally with Dejan, but that will stay between us and the squad. I don't want to talk publicly about this."

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic confirms star Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic will miss the crucial showdown with England on Sunday.

More to follow.

Croatia head to England in bullish mood after beating Gareth Southgate's men "without any problems" at the World Cup, according to the man who sealed their win over Spain.

Tin Jedvaj, whose injury-time goal helped Croatia to a 3-2 victory over Luis Enrique's men in Zagreb, even suggested the visitors should be considered favourites for Sunday's Nations League clash.

Zlatko Dalic's men broke English hearts in the summer by securing a 2-1 extra-time comeback win as the Three Lions' Russian adventure ended at the semi-final stage.

The nations drew 0-0 behind closed doors in Rijeka last month and meet again at Wembley this weekend in an intriguingly-poised Nations League clash, which will decide the side relegated from Group A4 and the country that will head to the inaugural finals.

Jedvaj is confident of another Croatia win this weekend.

"In Russia, we proved that we could beat them without any problems and that they aren't better than us," he said in quotes reported by uefa.com.

"We might even be the favourites despite the fact that we are playing away. I don't know.

"They are England but we believe that we can win and end the group stage on top."

Jedvaj's could appear a little overconfident, which, was something their star man Luka Modric accused England of during the summer.

"Especially English journalists, pundits from television, they underestimated Croatia tonight and that was a huge mistake," Modric told ITV Sport after July's semi-final.

"All these words from them we take, we were reading and we were saying, 'OK, today we will see who will be tired'.

"And like I said they should be more humble and respect more opponents.

"But we showed again that we are not tired, we dominated the game physically, mentally, in all aspects."