Croatia team won’t shrink from facing Scots despite Covid fears
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic admits his team are running scared of Covid - but he expects all of his players to stand and fight Scotland.
Steve Clarke's side have sufferedamajorblowahead of tonight's crucial Hampden showdown after Billy Gilmour tested positive.
Dalic also fears his side’s tournament hopes could be damaged beyond repair by the pandemic.
Croatia have taken their coronavirus precautions seriously - even cancelling their camp in St Andrews and basing themselves back in their homeland amid fears Scottish Government rules would mean their entire squad would be forced to quarantine if they receive even only one positive test result.
Seeing Gilmour fall victim to coronavirus on the eve of their decisive Group D showdown has heightened those fears. But Dalic has faith his players will not lettheirworriesstandinthe way of progression.
Dalic said: "We have just arrived in Glasgow - but I don't expect anyone to say theydon'twanttoplay.allof themareafraid,butwehave to play, concentrate on the game and forget everything else. That's how the situation is for this entire Euros.
"All of us have been negative until now, we are taking all the precautions and implement all the measures. But we just have to see what happens.
"Every third day we go through the tests, there is psychological pressure and uncertainty.
"So we are afraid something would happen, they test positive and we all end up isolating and having those serious issues.
"I wish Gilmour a good recovery and that nobody else ends up positive with Covid because that would make things difficult."