Čačić looks to Croatia youth as Lovren misses out

Talented youngsters Marko Rog, Ante Ćorić, Duje Ćaleta-Car and Dominik Livaković are among 27 players named by Croatia coach Ante Čačić in his provisional UEFA EURO 2016 squad.

"With these 27 players we want to boost the atmosphere," said Čačić, who will definitely leave out one of the four goalkeepers. "It is important to enter the fray with the best squad and to play with our best players. We have a tough group."

• All you need to know about the Croatia national team

A notable absentee is Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, after some well-publicised tensions between himself and the coach. Čačić said: "I am not saying the national-team doors are closed to Lovren. One day, when he realises that he needs to be a part of the team, without impetuous actions regarding the national team, players and the coach, there will be a way back."

Croatia are playing warm-up matches against Moldova on 27 May in Koprivnica (three days before the deadline to cut the squad to 23) and on 4 June against San Marino in Rijeka.

Provisional Croatia squad for UEFA EURO 2016
Goalkeepers: Danijel Subašić (Monaco), Lovre Kalinić (Hajduk Split), Ivan Vargić (Rijeka), Dominik Livaković (NK Zagreb).

Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Vedran Ćorluka (Lokomotiv Moskva), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kyiv), Ivan Strinić (Napoli), Gordon Schildenfeld (Dinamo Zagreb), Šime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Duje Ćaleta-Car (Salzburg).
 
 Midfielders: Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona),  Ivan Perišić (Internazionale Milano), Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marcelo Brozović (Internazionale Milano), Alen Halilović (Barcelona), Domagoj Antolić (Dinamo Zagreb), Marko Rog (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Ćorić (Dinamo Zagreb).

Forwards: Mario Mandžukić (Juventus), Nikola Kalinić (Fiorentina), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb), Duje Čop (Málaga).

Croatia's Group D fixtures
12/06: Turkey v Croatia (Paris)
17/06: Czech Republic v Croatia (Saint-Etienne)
21/06: Croatia v Spain (Bordeaux)