Croatia coach Slaven Bilic included Eduardo Da Silva in the squad for next month's World Cup qualifier against Andorra, even though the Arsenal striker picked up an injury again last week after returning from a yearlong recovery.
Bilic said Eduardo's latest injury "was minor after all," and hopes to see the Brazilian-born striker return to the national team after missing the previous World Cup qualifiers while recovering from a broken leg following a tackle last February.
However, Bilic will be without striker Mladen Petric, who is out for at least three weeks after rupturing a muscle on Sunday playing for Hamburg in the Bundesliga.
Bilic gave Hajduk Split midfielder Drago Gabric his first call-up, saying he deserved a spot after a number of strong displays in the national league.
Bilic said the match against Andorra, the team's first after five months, will be "unpleasant, because of long travel and bad field."
"But we're interested only and solely at winning that duel," he said.
Croatia, which plays leader England by five points in Group 6, plays Andorra away on April 1.
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow), Vedran Runje (Lens), Danijel Subasic (Hajduk Split)
Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Tottenham), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Dario Knezevic (Juventus), Hrvoje Vejic (Hajduk Split), Danijel Pranjic (SC Heerenveen), Ivica Krizanac (Zenit St. Petersburg), Dino Drpic (Karlsruhe)
Midfielders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Luka Modric (Tottenham), Jerko Leko (Monaco), Ivan Rakitic (Schalke), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev), Nikola Pokrivac (Monaco), Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth), Hrvoje Cale (Trabzonspor), Ivan Juric (Genoa), Drago Gabric (Hajduk Split).
Forwards: Eduardo Da Silva (Arsenal), Ivica Olic (Hamburger SV), Ivan Klasnic (Nantes), Nikola Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Mario Mandzukic (Dinamo Zagreb).
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