LENS, France (AP) " Croatia's key players Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic trained well on Friday and could be ready for at least part of the round of 16 game against Portugal.
Coach Ante Cacic indicated the two men were recovering. "I cannot say if they're fit to play the full match, the whole 90 minutes," he said through a translator on Friday, a day ahead of the game in Lens.
"Everything looks good and but I will decide tomorrow before the match."
Both men, injured during a 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic, looked strong during training on Friday.
Modric, the playmaker, and striker Mandzukic were nursing muscle injuries that forced them out of the final group stage match, a 2-1 victory over double-champion Spain.