Central defender Dejan Lovren and striker Nikola Kalinic were dropped from Croatia's final squad for the European Championship on Tuesday.
Coach Slaven Bilic said Lovren had an Achilles tendon injury. Also missing from the preliminary squad were defender Sime Vrsaljko and goalkeeper Goran Blazevic.
Lovren, of Lyon, has been Croatia's main central defender. His replacement was Jurica Buljat of Maccabi Haifa.
''We waited about Lovren till the last moment, but he couldn't recuperate fully,'' Bilic said. ''It is clear that we have a problem with central defenders, that's why I had to keep Buljat.''
Bilic said striker Kalinic had been in good form during preparations, but after Lovren's injury, he had to think about keeping a defender.
''We'll be fine with four attackers,'' Bilic said.
Croatia begins Euro 2012 against Ireland on June 10, in Group C with defending champion Spain, and four-time world champ Italy.
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Croatia:
Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Ivan Kelava (Dinamo Zagreb.
Defenders: Domogoj Vida (Dinamo Zagreb), Vedran Corluka (Bayer Leverkusen), Josip Simunic (Dinamo Zagreb), Gordon Schildenfeld (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ivan Strinic (Dnipro), Danijel Pranjic (Bayern Munich), Jurica Buljat (Maccabi Haifa).
Midfielders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Tomislav Dujmovic (Real Zaragoza), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kiev), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Luka Modric (Tottenham), Ivan Perisic (Borussia Dortmund), Niko Kranjcar (Tottenham), Milan Badelj (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivo Ilicevic (Hamburg).
Forwards: Ivica Olic (Bayern Munich), Nikica Jelavic (Everton), Mario Mandzukic (Wolfsburg), Eduardo da Silva (Shakhtar Donetsk).
