He has also called up Dinamo Zagreb striker Mario Mandzukic for the matches on September 6 and 10 after his attacking options took another blow.

Bilic learned today that Portsmouth winger Niko Kranjcar is to miss up to three months following ankle surgery.

The loss of Kranjcar comes with Croatia already without injured Arsenal striker Eduardo.

Squad: Stipe Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow), Vedran Runje (Lens); Vedran Corluka (Manchester City), Robert Kovac (Borussia Dortmund), Dario Knezevic (Juventus), Ivica Krizanac (Zenit St Petersburg), Danijel Pranjic (Heerenveen), Dario Simic (Monaco), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Hrvoje Vejic (Tomsk); Niko Kovac (Salzburg), Jerko Leko (Monaco), Luka Modric (Tottenham), Nikola Pokrivac (AS Monaco), Ivan Rakitic (Schalke), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev); Nikola Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Klasnic (Nantes), Mario Mandzukic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivica Olic (Hamburg), Mladen Petric (Hamburg).