Croatia midfielder Niko Kranjcar will play no part in the World Cup this summer after being ruled out of the competition with a hamstring injury.
Kranjcar had to be substituted in the first half of QPR's Championship playoff final win over Derby County on Saturday, and tests have revealed that the 29- year-old will be out of action for the next 4-6 weeks after rupturing his hamstring.
The Croatian Football Federation confirmed that Kranjcar will take no part in the World Cup.
"I feel extremely sorry for Niko, as do all his teammates," Croatia boss Niko Kovac said. "We know how difficult this must be for him, since the World Cup in Brazil is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
"Niko has made his contribution in the qualifying campaign, and is also one of the most experienced internationals. He deserved to be in Brazil."
Kranjcar was a member of Croatia's 2006 World Cup team as well as the 2008 and 2012 Euro squads, while he has earned 81 caps for Croatia in his international career, scoring 16 goals.
[SportsNetwork.com]
