Ivica Olić, the assistant of Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić, believes injured Inter star Marcelo Brozovic ‘must not be carried away by his coach’s persuasion’ on the path to recovery.
The 29-year-old has been ruled out of action for up to a month due to a flexor injury sustained during the international break with Croatia.
“I received information that it will be fine in a few weeks,” Olic, a former Bayern Munich striker and now the assistant of Croatia boss Dalić, told Sportske Novosti.
“In three or four weeks, he could be in full training. With such an injury, the most important thing is to return only when fully fit. I’m talking more from experience than from a medical point of view because I had a lot of difficulties with my muscles.
“He [Brozovic] must not be carried away by a match or the coach’s persuasion. This way, he will be ready for all the matches in Qatar. Brozo is our machine and it would be a shame to lose such a player due to such a minor injury if it happens again.”
Inter were said to be not impressed with how Croatia handled Brozovic during the break.
He started two games from two, sustaining the injury after 17 minutes in the second match with Austria.
According to Il Corriere Dello Sport, Inter also didn’t enjoy Croatia’s communication as they felt they were pushing the player not to rush his return to the pitch before the World Cup.
Olic has now made it clear that Brozovic should prioritise his national team over Inter during his recovery path.
The 2022 World Cup begins on November 20, while the final Serie A game before the break is on November 13.
Italian coaches are a train wreck.
MG…give your head a shake. Italian coaches are the best.
Who pays his salary ? Not Croatia