Matchday 4 of Group 3 in League A of the Nations League features a particularly intriguing matchup. Croatia hosts Spain in Split, with the two teams in completely different situations.
The Croatians need to bounce back after their disappointing performance and humiliating 7-0 loss to England, and Slaven Bilić is looking for the right solutions, both in terms of personnel and competitive intensity. In this context, Lovro Mayer will not be available to the coach, as he was left off the final roster, along with Ivan Smolčić, Frano Ivanović, and Petar Musa, as widely reported in Croatia.
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Mayer’s absence is one of Bilic’s most notable decisions in a match where Croatia needs to show a very different side. The national team coach has already cited a lack of energy in the previous game and is now called upon to select the players he believes can best meet the demands of the matchagainst Spain.
For his part, the AEK attacking midfielder has been left out of the squad for the third consecutive game, while against the Czech Republic he watched the match from the bench. This means he won’t log a single minute of playing time during Croatia’s initial run under the new national team coach, even though he had recently stepped up his performance with AEK.
Now, Mayer will head back to Athens in order to rejoin AEK’s training sessions and focus on his commitments with the team, which begin this Saturday (10/10, 7:30 p.m.) against OFI at the “Allwyn Arena.”
*photo source: KYPE
