Modrić back in Croatia fold

Croatia have not encountered UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F rivals Greece in competitive action since the preliminaries for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and they will be determined to record the home win that eluded them on that occasion.

Team news
• Croatia are boosted by the return to fitness of Luka Modrić. The playmaker was ruled out of the 3-0 win in Latvia because he had not fully recovered from a thigh injury. "I'm not only delighted because of the victory, but because we thought Latvia would be our most difficult away match," Slaven Bilić said after Friday's opener. "We had a dip in confidence after World Cup qualifying but we shouldn't be euphoric just yet."

• Croatia squad
Goalkeepers: Vedran Runje (RC Lens), Danijel Subašić (HNK Hajduk Split), Stipe Pletikosa (FC Spartak Moskva)
Defenders: Vedran Ćorluka (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Josip Šimunić (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), Ivan Strinić (HNK Hajduk Split), Gordon Schildenfeld (SK Sturm Graz), Jurica Buljat (HNK Hajduk Split), Darijo Srna (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Mladen Bartulović (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Tomislav Dujmović (FC Dinamo Moskva)
Midfielders: Nikola Pokrivač (FC Salzburg), Ognjen Vukojević (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Luka Modrić (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Niko Kranjčar (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Danijel Pranjić (FC Bayern München) Drago Gabrić (Trabzonspor AŞ), Ivan Rakitić (FC Schalke 04)
Forwards: Ivica Olić (FC Bayern München), Eduardo da Silva (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Mladen Petrić (Hamburger SV), Nikica Jelavić (SK Rapid Wien), Mario Mandžukić (VfL Wolfsburg)

• Greece drew 1-1 at home to Georgia on Friday but Nikos Spyropoulos, scorer of their equaliser, has been ruled out of the Zagreb trip due to a knee injury. "Unfortunately the early goal we conceded ruined our plans," coach Fernando Santos said following his first competitive match in charge of the 2004 European champions. "We have a strong team but failed to prove it."

• Greece squad
Goalkeepers: Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos FC), Michalis Sifakis (Aris Thessaloniki FC)
Defenders: Loukas Vyntra (Panathinaikos FC), Giourkas Seitaridis (Panathinaikos FC), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (AC Milan), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiacos FC), Stelios Malezas (PAOK FC), Nikos Spyropoulos (Panathinaikos FC), Giorgos Tzavellas (Eintracht Frankfurt), Giannis Maniatis (Panionios GSS)
Midfielders: Kostas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos FC), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos FC), Alexandros Tziolis (Real Racing Club), Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiacos FC), Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos FC), Pantelis Kafes (AEK Athens FC), Panagiotis Kone (Brescia Calcio)
Forwards: Antonis Petropoulos (Panathinaikos FC), Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK FC), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic FC), Kostas Mitroglou (Olympiacos FC), Fanis Gekas (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Match background
• Croatia's record in four matches against Greece reads W1 D2 L1 (W0 D2 L0 at home).

• Croatia first met their upcoming opponents in Zagreb on 10 November 1996 and needed Davor Šuker's equaliser to cancel out Demis Nikolaidis's opener in a 1-1 draw.

• Šuker also grabbed the only goal in the return fixture in Thessaloniki on 30 April the following year as Croatia finished second in qualifying Group 1 to earn a play-off meeting with Ukraine, which they won 3-1 on aggregate. Greece came third in the section.

• Since then, the nations have crossed paths in a pair of friendlies, with Greece triumphing 3-2 in Athens on 10 March 1999 and the two sides playing out a 2-2 draw in Varazdin on 25 April 2001.