Bloody road to glory for Croatia's Ćorluka

A quick scan through social media will reveal that Croatia centre-back Vedran Ćorluka gained more than three points and a sore head in Sunday's 1-0 Group D win against Turkey; the 30-year-old Lokomotiv Moskva player has become an internet sensation.

Injured in a collision while challenging for the ball in the first half, Ćorluka played on with no small amount of heroism, despite a range of bandages failing to effectively staunch the blood flowing from his wound.

Comparisons to Russell Crowe's Gladiator and the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail ("tis but a scratch") have proliferated, with a number of fans wearing their own special bandages in his honour.

Croatia team doctor Boris Nemec said: "I have never witnessed anything like this in my whole career. I bound the wounds so many times. I have seen a lot of different injuries, things you can't imagine, but to have to bandage one player four times during one match, I've never experienced that."

The Croatian Football Federation (HNS), meanwhile, is seeing Ćorluka's gory resilience as emblematic of the absolute commitment to the cause at UEFA EURO 2016.

Expect a similar level of dedication when Ante Čačić's side take on the Czech Republic in Saint-Etienne on Friday – but hopefully a little less blood. "Ćorluka has got three stitches in his head, but there is no fear with him," Nemec added. "He will be ready for the match."