Zlatko Dalic sees Croatia’s World Cup opener against England as pivotal to their summer fortunes, admitting a softer first match may have been preferable for a team struggling with form and fitness issues.Croatia beat Slovenia 2-1 in their final friendly before flying to the US but Dalic is likely to face several selection issues when they face England on 17 June. The Manchester City pair of Mateo Kovacic and Josip Gvardiol are both coming back from injury and it adds to the sense that Dalic’s side, who finished third in 2022 and runners-up four years earlier, risk starting their tournament on the back foot.“Maybe, because the first game can destroy everything,” Dalic said when asked whether he would have preferred to play England later in the group stage. “At Euro 2024 we lost 3-0 to Spain in the first game and we fell down, couldn’t come back. But in the past we’ve beaten Nigeria [in 2018] and drawn with Morocco [in 2022].“We can’t choose anything else now. The first game is the most important game. Against England we’ll fight, try to do our best and try to win.”Luka Modric, wearing a protective mask as he recovers from a fractured cheekbone, scored a beautifully taken goal in Varazdin but is among a handful of Dalic’s stalwarts lacking match sharpness. “Kovacic, Gvardiol and Modric didn’t play much for a long time and they are not in optimal form,” he said. “Especially Kovacic, he hardly played this season and now we need him. It’s not easy and we need time. Gvardiol is now back but I know they are not at the optimal level. We don’t have a big roster and these are some of our most important players.”Dalic was in charge when Croatia beat England in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup but would not bite on the prospect of any psychological scars remaining in their opponents, pointing out England have since beaten Croatia twice. He was effusive about the prowess of Thomas Tuchel’s team and spoke approvingly of their lengthy US-based preparation. England flew to Miami a week ago even though the match with Croatia, which will take place in Dallas, is not until 17 June.Mateo Kovacic“A very strong team whose league is the best in the world and who play very offensive, very fast,” he said. “We will have to do something more.“I watched the game against New Zealand but it wasn’t a real situation, it was something different. It shows how serious your team is when they come to America nearly 20 days before to prepare everything. But I’m always an optimist, I will push my team and do the best on my side to win the game.”