Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic is only fit for the Croatia bench, but Sofyan Amrabat of Fiorentina and Sampdoria’s Abdelhamid Sabiri start for Morocco in the World Cup third place final.
It kicks off at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan at 15.00 GMT and will decide who takes the bronze medal in Qatar 2022.
Brozovic limped off during the 3-0 semi-final defeat to Argentina and, much to the relief of his club side Inter, is not risked in the starting XI due to that muscular issue.
He is replaced by Lovro Majer, one of five changes to the starting XI that also see Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic dropped with Nikola Vlasic of Torino.
Morocco are the first ever African team to reach this stage of the World Cup and have two Serie A players in the starting XI.
They are Fiorentina midfielder Amrabat, who has been the breakout star of the tournament, and Sampdoria’s Sabiri.
Chelsea forward and Milan transfer target Hakim Ziyech becomes captain, as Roman Saiss and Noussair Mazraoui are injured after proving against France they were not fully fit.
Croatia: Livakovic, Stanisic, Gvardiol, Sutalo, Majer, Kovacic, Modric, Perisic, Livaja, Orsic, Kramaric
Morocco: Bounou, Hakimi, Dari, El Yamiq, Attiat-Allah, Amrabat, El Khannouss, Ziyech (c), Sabiri, Boufal, En-Nesyri