STIPE PLETIKOSA (Spartak Moscow, 08/01/79)

Croatia's most capped goalkeeper and undisputed number one, Pletikosa kept eight clean sheets in his country's 12 qualifying games. Despite playing at two World Cups, this will be his first European Championship finals after he missed Euro 2004 through injury.

VEDRAN RUNJE (Lens, 10/02/76)

Runje has a fight on his hands for a place in the Croatia squad, being one of three inexperienced understudies to Pletikosa with a handful of caps between them. He appeared the natural replacement until missing March's friendly against Scotland.

MARIO GALINOVIC (Panathinaikos, 15/11/76)

Galinovic made his Croatia debut back in 1999 but had to wait more than eight years for his second cap. Despite being 31, the Panathinaikos man is even more inexperienced at international level than Runje.

DEFENDERS

DARIO SIMIC (AC Milan, 12/11/75)

His country's most capped player, Simic will be the first Croatian to make a century of international appearances as long as he stays fit for Euro 2008. The centre-back has been a mainstay of the side for 15 years, playing in all the major championships in which Croatia have competed.

JOSIP SIMUNIC (Hertha Berlin, 18/02/78)

Australia-born Simunic has large shoes to fill in the shape of Croatia great Robert Jarni but he has proven more than up to the task, making the left-back position his own for over five years. With more than 60 caps to his name, he is fast approaching Jarni's 81.

ROBERT KOVAC (Borussia Dortmund, 06/04/74)

Berlin-born Kovac is the second of Croatia's vastly-experienced central defenders, having earned more than 70 caps for his country. The 34-year-old, the younger brother of captain Niko, is the epitome of the modern ball-playing defender, and this will be his fourth major championship finals.

VEDRAN CORLUKA (Manchester City, 05/02/86)

Sven-Goran Eriksson raised a few eyebrows when he made Corluka one of his first signings at Manchester City last summer. A reported £8million was paid for this relative unknown but he quickly began to justify the price tag, replicating his excellent international performances in the Barclays Premier League.

DARIO KNEZEVIC (Livorno, 20/04/82)

Knezevic is expected to succeed Simic at the heart of the defence in the coming years. But the Livorno star will have to make do with a role as understudy in Austria and Switzerland.

HRVOJE VEJIC (Tom Tomsk, 08/06/77)

A late bloomer at international level, Vejic only earned his first senior cap in February but he could yet find himself on the plane to Austria and Switzerland as cover for his more esteemed compatriots.

MIDFIELDERS

IVAN RAKITIC (Schalke, 10/03/88)

Very much a midfield star of the future, the 20-year-old shunned his native Switzerland - for whom he had played up to under-21 level - to join Slaven Bilic'sCroatia revolution. However, he has yet to start a competitive game and is likely to be used as an impact substitute this summer.

NIKO KOVAC (Red Bull Salzburg, 15/10/71)

Born in Berlin like his defender brother, Croatia's talismanic captain has spent virtually his entire club career in Germany, though he is seeing out his playing days in Austria. A sterling defensive midfielder, Kovac has led his country with distinction for almost four years.

DARIJO SRNA (Shakhtar Donetsk, 01/05/82)

Srna normally occupies the right-hand side of Croatia's experienced midfield quartet. He boasts an impressive goalscoring record from that position, netting five times during qualifying. He is also a specialist from free-kicks and crosses.

LUKA MODRIC (Dinamo Zagreb, 09/09/85)

The latest truly gifted midfielder to emerge from Croatia, 22-year-old Modric could be one of the real stars this summer. Two-footed, with a great range of passing and excellent vision, Tottenham have snapped him up for next season.

JERKO LEKO (Monaco, 09/04/80)

The majority of Leko's half-century of caps have been earned from the substitute's bench and it is likely to be no different in Austria and Switzerland. The 28-year-old is renowned for his versatility, making him an essential member of any squad.

NIKO KRANJCAR (Portsmouth, 13/08/84)

Arguably Portsmouth's most creative player, English football followers are already familiar with Kranjcar's various talents. He has few weaknesses as an attacking midfielder, able to create and score spectacular goals with equal aplomb as well as being a real menace with a dead ball.

DANIJEL PRANJIC (Heerenveen, 02/12/81)

A left-sided midfielder, Pranjic has had to bide his time since making his senior debut five years ago. He is very much second-choice in his position behind Kranjcar - who is almost three years his junior - and will fill a bench-warming role this summer.

OGNJEN VUKOJEVIC (Dinamo Zagreb, 20/12/83)

Vukojevic capped a memorable debut in October with a goal in Croatia's 3-0 win over Slovakia but it is his defensive qualities which stand out. Often compared to Italy's World Cup-winning midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, the 24-year-old could be skipper Simic's eventual successor.

NIKOLA POKRIVAC (Monaco, 26/11/85)

A surprise selection from Bilic, defensive midfielder Pokrivac had not been capped at senior level before being named in the final 23-man squad for Austria and Switzerland. His call-up came less than six months after he joined compatriot Leko at Monaco but he is likely to be limited to a watching brief this summer.

FORWARDS

IVAN KLASNIC (Werder Bremen, 28/01/80)

The devastating loss of star striker Eduardo has been tempered somewhat by the recent return of Klasnic, whose own career was threatened when he suffered kidney failure in January last year. He has the ability to replicate the x-factor Eduardo provided up front though even before his problems, he had not quite lived up to his potential.

IVICA OLIC (Hamburg, 14/09/79)

Olic has been vying with Mladen Petric for the role of Eduardo's strike partner, with Bilic rotating the pair depending on the opposition. Olic's superior versatility (he can play left-wing) and work rate saw him given the nod for November's final qualifier against England and he responded with his country's second goal.

IGOR BUDAN (Parma, 22/04/80)

Budan has been plying his trade in Italy since his late teens but was farmed out on loan to a succession of clubs before finding a home at Parma two years ago. He has since developed into a genuine goalscorer, his record making him impossible to ignore when he made his international bow in February last year.

MLADEN PETRIC (Borussia Dortmund, 01/01/81)

Petric's international goals record of almost one every two games suggests he should be given a regular starting berth but that average is skewed somewhat by a four-goal haul against minnows Andorra in qualifying. He did, however, come off the bench to score the winner that knocked England out of the competition.

NIKOLA KALINIC (Hajduk Split, 05/01/88)

Bilic has gambled on the Kalinic, who was uncapped when selected in the squad, as his fifth striker this summer. The Hajduk Split youngster is undoubtedly one for the future, having starred for his country's youth teams right up to Under-21 level. He is also arguably the form striker in Croatian domestic football.