Croatia provisional squad for Brazil 2014 World Cup

Croatia coach Niko Kovač has selected his provisional 30-man World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Oliver Zelenika (Dinamo Zagreb).

Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Dejan Lovren (Southampton), Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Gordon Schildenfeld (Panathinaikos), Danijel Pranjic (Panathinaikos), Ivan Strinic (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Sime Vrsaljko (Genoa), Igor Bubnjic (Udinese).

Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Niko Kranjcar (Queens Park Rangers), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev), Ivan Perisic (Vfl Wolfsburg), Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan), Milan Badelj (Hamburg), Ivo Ilicevic (Hamburg), Marcelo Brozovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Mocinic (Rijeka), Mario Pasalic (Hajduk Split), Sammir (Getafe).

Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich), Ivica Olic (Vfl Wolfsburg), Eduardo da Silva (Shakhtar Donetsk), Nikica Jelavic (Hull City), Ante Rebic (Fiorentina), Duje Cop (Dinamo Zagreb).

Betting on Croatia for  the World Cup

Croatia are sending a strong squad, with solid names like the defenders Darijo Srna and Dejan Lovren, midfielders Luka Modric and Ivan Raktic, and strong Mario Mandzukic in attack. Other names also include Shakhtar Donetsk striker Eduardo (formerly of Arsenal) and Hull forward Nikica Jelavic.

Croatia are in group A, together with Brazil, Mexico and Cameroon. Brazil are naturally the big favourites to win the group, and the odds on Mexico and Croatia are pretty even. We find Croatia to be better than Mexico, and the odds on them to finish second in the group is attractive. We also have some preliminary tips out on the first match between Brazil and Croatia. Here are the early bets we find interesting: