Soccer-Croatia name squad for the Netherlands friendly

[Mislav]

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic included only one home-based player in the 20-man squad for next month's international friendly against the Netherlands.

"The coaches of Dinamo (Zagreb) and Hajduk (Split) have asked me to exempt their players who will be on preparations abroad for the second half of the season," Bilic told reporters on Tuesday.

The only Croatia-based player called up for the first warm-up game ahead of the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland is Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Luka Modric, who is on the wish list of several top European clubs.

The match against the Dutch will be played on Feb. 6 in Split.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow), Vedran Runje (Lens)

Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Manchester City), Dario Simic (AC Milan), Robert Kovac (Borussia Dortmund), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Dario Knezevic (Livorno), Hrvoje Vejic (Tomsk)

Midfielders: Niko Kovac (Salzburg), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth), Jerko Leko (AS Monaco), Marko Babic (Real Betis), Danijel Pranjic (Heerenveen), Jurica Vranjes (Werder Bremen), Ivan Rakitic (Schalke)

Forwards: Eduardo Da Silva (Arsenal), Mladen Petric (Borussia Dortmund), Ivica Olic (Hamburger SV)

[Box]

Holland coach Marco van Basten has named a provisional 27-man squad for next month's friendly against Croatia in Split.

Arsenal's Robin van Persie is unavailable because of a thigh injury and Real Madrid's Arjen Robben is still sidelined with a muscle strain.

The final squad will be announced on February 1.

Holland squad: Van der Sar (Manchester United), Stekelenburg (Ajax), Timmer (Feyenoord); Bouma (Aston Villa), De Cler (Feyenoord), Emanuelson (Ajax), Heitinga (Ajax), Jaliens, Mathijsen (Hamburg), Melchiot (Wigan), Ooijer (Blackburn); Afellay, Van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Engelaar, De Jong (Hamburg), Landzaat (Wigan), Maduro (Valencia), Seedorf, Sneijder (Real Madrid), Van der Vaart (Hamburg), De Zeeuw (AZ Alkmaar); Babel (Liverpool), Huntelaar (Ajax), Koevermans, Kuyt (Liverpool), Van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic).