Modric misses training with tendon injury

By Zoran Milosavljevic

BAD TATZMANNSDORF, Austria (Reuters) - Croatia midfielder Luka Modric missed training with a strained tendon on Monday but the injury is not serious, a team spokesman said.

The 22-year-old, who scored from the penalty spot in Croatia's 1-0 win over co-hosts Austria on Sunday, picked up a knock in their Group B opener.

"Luka Modric is not taking part in training because he has a strained right Achilles tendon but it's nothing serious and he is exercising on his own," said team spokesman Davor Gavran.

Croatia, second in the group behind Germany who were 2-0 winners over Poland, meet them in Klagenfurt on Thursday before facing the Poles at the same venue next Monday.

Whith Modric temporarily sidelined, the rest of the squad played a warm-up match amongst themselves in torrential rain in the nearby Oberwart sports centre where more than 1,000 Croatia fans turned up to watch them.

Coach Slaven Bilic, who named Modric at Monday's team news conference as one of the players who performed below par against the Austrians, is likely to make one or two changes for the clash with Germany.

Bilic hinted forward Ivan Rakitic was close to making the starting lineup should he revert from a standard 4-4-2 to a 4-3-2-1 formation with Ivica Olic as the lone striker.

"We have several alternative formations as options, we have used all of them before and Rakitic is a strong candidate to play a part against Germany in any case," he said.

"We wanted to bring him on against the Austrians in the second half but the match took a course which dictated different substitutions."

"Modric was not at his best on Sunday but he is one of Europe's top players and I expect him to shine in Euro 2008," added Bilic.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)