Croatia coach Ante Cacic has revealed the reason Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic did not take part in the defeat to Celta Vigo on Sunday.

While Barça have kept quiet, Cacic had no choice but to inform local media that Rakitic will not be available for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers due to an Achilles tendon problem.

“[Luka] Modric is out, he had an operation, and [Dejan] Lovren also needs one, although he’s had it yet,” Cacic explained.

“The new problem is that Rakitic will not be with us, either, because he has a problem with his Achilles, which is why he didn’t play [on Sunday].

“In his place I’ve called up Dinamo Zagreb captain Domagoj Antolic. So we are without our captain and vice captain, but we have to win these next two games.”

Croatia face Kosovo and Finland over the next week.