Earlier on Monday, the Croatian media reported that Kalinic would return home after refusing to replace Mario Mandzukic in the dying minutes of the game, claiming he had issues with his back.

“Kalinic has indeed left the national team. He refused to come on as a substitute in the game with Nigeria. This is the second or third time this situation has happened, and apparently he is simply not ready to play at the World Cup,” Dalic told reporters.

The game, held at the Kaliningrad Arena, ended in a 2-0 win for Croatia, who will next face Argentina on Thursday before playing Iceland on 26 June.