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    JOŠKO GVARDIOL INJURY: CONCERN FOR CITY, EVEN BIGGER FOR THE VATRENI AHEAD OF THE 2026 WORLD CUP

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    Croatian international Joško Gvardiol suffered a serious injury in Manchester City’s league derby against Chelsea, which ended 1–1. Gvardiol was forced off early in the second half, and subsequent tests confirmed a fracture of the tibia in his right leg, meaning he will need surgery followed by rehabilitation.

    According to the Croatian Football Federation (CFF), the operation is scheduled for later this week. At the same time, the full extent of the injury is still being assessed—an essential factor in estimating how long his recovery will take. In other words, we know what happened, but it is still unclear exactly how long it will take for him to return.

    A race against time: the World Cup starts on 11 June

    What makes this news especially worrying from a Croatian perspective is the calendar: the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as reported by the media, is set to begin on 11 June. With such a timeline, every month of recovery raises serious questions about whether the coaching staff will be able to count on one of the key players on the defensive line.

    Večernji list reports that this type of injury often requires a layoff of four to five months, which immediately opens the possibility that Gvardiol’s season could essentially become a recovery process and an attempt to regain match sharpness only near the very end. For the national team, it’s not just a matter of “will he be fit”, but also “what condition will he be in when the tournament starts”—because there is a considerable difference between returning to the pitch and returning to complete form.

    Dalić and the medical teams are in contact

    Head coach Zlatko Dalić has already spoken to Gvardiol and offered his support, while the national team’s medical staff has established contact with Manchester City’s doctors. This is a standard but necessary procedure in such cases: the national team wants reliable, up-to-date information about treatment, recovery milestones, and realistic timelines.

    An additional layer of concern is that Mateo Kovačić’s injury is being mentioned alongside it, meaning Croatia could, in a short period, be without two players who bring both quality and top-level experience.

    Why Gvardiol is “irreplaceable” in modern Croatia

    Gvardiol is not just “another defender”. In Dalić’s setups, he can cover multiple roles—centre-back and left-back—giving the coach tactical flexibility and security, especially against opponents with strong wingers or in matches where Croatia wants to build from the back. That is why the media underline that, if his absence is prolonged, the head coach would have to find solutions for more than one position, not merely a simple “like-for-like replacement”.

    CFF also points to his club output this season: 16 Premier League appearances, with two goals and two assists—further confirming how important he is both for his club and as a player who can contribute in attack as well.

    What comes next: phases of recovery and key checkpoints

    With injuries like this, the crucial steps are clear: surgery, early rehabilitation, gradually increasing load, and, only then, a return to whole-team training and competitive minutes. The honest answer to “will he make the World Cup?” will depend on how the procedure goes, how he progresses after surgery, and whether complications can be avoided. At this moment, HNS stresses that any estimate of the recovery timeline depends on completing the full diagnostic picture.

    For supporters, it matters that there is coordination between the national team and the club—because with a player of this profile, everyone’s goal is the same: to get him back healthy, without rushing steps, even if that requires patience.

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