Croatia name squad for Turkey play-off

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic today named a 24-man squad for their UEFA EURO 2012 play-off against Turkey on 11 November in Istanbul and at home four days later. "I believe that we have enough experience, knowledge and character to secure our appearance at the European championship in two games with Turkey," Bilic said quoted by the HINA news agency. "However, we should not hide that among those invited there are players who did not recover enough and there are those who are lacking continuity of playing in their clubs," he added. As soon as Croatia drew Guus Hiddink's side in the play-offs for a place at EURO 2012 last month, Bilic said that he was dreaming of avenging their dramatic UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-final defeat. At EURO 2008 Turkey beat Croatia 3-1 on penalties after the match had finished 1-1 after extra-time. Semih Senturk levelled for Turkey in the first minute of time added on after Ivan Klasnic had given the Croats the lead in the 119th minute. Croatia squad: Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov/RUS), Danijel Subasic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Kelava (Dinamo Zagreb) Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk/UKR), Vedran Corluka (Tottenham/ENG), Sime Vrsaljko (Dinamo Zagreb), Dejan Lovren (Lyon/FRA), Josip Simunic (Dinamo Zagreb), Gordon Schindelfeld (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Domagoj Vida (Dinamo Zagreb), Manuel Pamic (Sparta Prague/CZE) Midfielders: Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev/UKR), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla/ESP), Tomislav Dujmovic (Dinamo Moscow/RUS), Luka Modric (Tottenham/ENG), Mato Jajalo (Cologne/GER), Ivan Perisic (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Danijel Pranjic (Bayern Munich/GER), Ivo Ilicevic (Hamburg/GER) Strikers: Mario Mandzukic (Wolfsburg/GER), Eduardo da Silva (Shakhtar Donetsk/UKR), Nikica Jelavic (Rangers/SCO), Nikola Kalinic (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk/UKR), Ivica Olic (Bayern Munich/GER)