Prem duo included for Croatia

Nikica Jelavic: Selected alongside Southampton’s Dejan Lovren

Hull striker Nikica Jelavic and Southampton defender Dejan Lovren have both been named in Croatia’s preliminary 30-man World Cup squad.

Jelavic’s January move to the KC Stadium from Everton, where he was struggling to play regular football, appears to have reinvigorated his chances of making the trip to Brazil.

QPR’s Nico Kranjcar is the other British-based player on the list.

Croatia, who face the hosts, Mexico and Cameroon in Group A, will expect much from their two true stars of European football, Real Madrid’s midfielder Luka Modric and Bayern Munich hot-shot Mario Mandzukic.

Former Arsenal striker Eduardo, now at Shakhtar Donetsk, and ex-Spurs and Manchester CIty defender Vedran Corluka are other names familiar with Premier League fans who have made the cut.

Boss Niko Kovac will have to trim seven names from his list by June 2 when the final 23-man squad must be announced.

Croatia’s 30-man World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasić (Monaco), Oliver Zelenika (Lokomotiva)

Defenders: Vedran Ćorluka (Lokomotiv), Dejan Lovren (Southampton), Gordan Schildenfeld (Panathinaikos), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar), Sime Vrsaljko (Genoa), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Ivan Strinić (Dnipro), Danijel Pranjić (Panathinaikos), Igor Bubnjić (Udinese)

Midfielders: Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitić (Sevilla), Niko Kranjčar (QPR), Mateo Kovačić (Inter), Ivan Perisić (Wolfsburg), Ognjen Vukojević (Dynamo Kiev), Milan Badelj (Hamburg), Josip Brozović (Dinamo), Mario Pasalić (Hajduk), Jorge Sammir (Getafe), Ivan Močinić (Rijeka)

Strikers: Mario Mandzukić (Bayern), Ivica Olić (Wolfsburg), Eduardo da Silva (Shakhtar), Nikica Jelavić (Hull), Duje Čop (Dinamo), Ivo Iličević (Hamburg), Ante Rebić (Fiorentina)