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• Modric selected for Croatia's Nations League fixtures

  Zlatko Dalic has named Luka Modric in Croatia's 24-man squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures next month. 

  Modric, who has made 178 appearances for his nation, has been picked alongside Manchester City duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic to face Portugal and Poland. 

  Following their group stage exit at Euro 2024, there was speculation about whether the 39-year-old midfielder would continue to play for the national side. 

  Both Domagoj Vida and Marcelo Brozovic, who starred alongside Modric at recent major tournaments, announced their retirement from international football after the European Championships. 

  But Dalic confirmed the Real Madrid midfielder is in his plans for their games next month as they look to build towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. 

  "The Nations League will be a good platform for us to create a team that will start qualifying for the 2026 World Cup next year," head coach Dalic said.

  "Compared to this year's Euro, we lost two senators, Vida and Brozovic, but we are all happy that the captain is still with us - Luka is our great strength on and off the field."

  Modric's goal against Italy at Euro 2024 saw him become the oldest player to ever score at the finals at the age of 38 years and 289 days. 

  The former Ballon d'Or winner has featured in both of Los Blancos' games this season, coming on as a substitute in both, which included claiming his 27th major honour in Madrid's Super Cup win against Atalanta. 

• Neville praises 'clinical and brutal' Slot in Liverpool triumph

  Gary Neville praised Liverpool head coach Arne Slot for his ruthless approach in their win against Ipswich Town on Saturday. 

  Slot, who was taking charge of his first competitive fixture as the new Reds boss, watched on as his side struggled in their Premier League opener at Portman Road.

  Liverpool registered an expected goals (xG) total of 0.09 from their three shots on target, winning 47.4% of the 97 duels they contested in the opening 45 minutes. 

  The Dutchman chose to withdraw Jarell Quansah for Ibrahima Konate at half-time, with his side improving after the break as Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah struck to secure the triumph. 

  Quansah won four of his eight contested duels, while also being successful in two of his four aerial duels, something Slot said was a key factor in his substitution. 

  "The first thing I said (at half-time) is that we don't need to speak about tactics if you lose so many duels," Slot told TNT Sports. 

  "And that's what we did, not that Jarell (Quansah) lost every duel - many of us lost too many duels but I think we needed Konate to win these long balls through the air from their number nine."

  Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast after Manchester City's 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, the former defender delivered his verdict on the decision. 

  "I thought Arne Slot was quite tough on Quansah," he said. "It is [a big call]. I mean subbing someone at half-time is big and I do not think it is done lightly by managers.

  "It was the way after the game as well, he was quite blunt about the way he answered it and there was no holding back.

  "So, I think there is an element of him being quite clinical and brutal and he was reacting to the game and what was happening.

  "He felt like they needed to win the duels, that was his main thought behind the decision.

  "It worked, you have to say, Liverpool were a lot better in the second half and it was a good win for them."

• Ancelotti bemoans 'lack of balance' in Real Madrid's LaLiga opener

  Carlo Ancelotti criticised his Real Madrid side for having a lack of balance as they started their LaLiga title defence with a 1-1 draw against Mallorca on Sunday. 

  Madrid took the lead in the 13th minute through Rodrygo's fine finish, only for Vedat Muriqi to level eight minutes into the second half. 

  Ancelotti boasted an attack of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham, with the quartet all playing a role in the opening goal of the game. 

  But Los Blancos struggled in front of goal, registering an expected goals (xG) total of 0.6 from their 13 shots, compared to their opponents' 0.96. 

  Ancelotti bemoaned his side's defensive display, going on to say that his players lost focus after taking an early lead at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix. 

  "Today I am not happy. I think we could have been done much better," said Ancelotti.

  "We need to be more concentrated, work better as a group... It's not a fitness problem, it was mental.

  "I don't want to make excuses for anything. We had to do better and show more attitude.

  "We can learn a lot from this match, it's a match where you can see clearly where we can end up having problems."

  Madrid's draw saw them fail to win their first game of the season for the first time in six campaigns under Ancelotti's stewardship. 

  The Italian suggested that Madrid could have easily lost the encounter due to their own mistakes and urged his star-studded squad to learn fast from their blunders.

  "We started the game well, we took the lead and we had chances to score the second, but in the second half we lacked balance," Ancelotti said.

  "It was a game we could have lost because we didn't have balance. It wasn't a good game.

  "We are a very attacking team and defensive balance is a fundamental part of the way we are built.

  "We struggled to steal the ball, to press after losing the ball. When we talk about defending, we are talking above all about collective commitment.

  "The balance is found with the players thinking about the same thing. When we have to win the ball back we have to think about it all together.

  "It's a problem for everyone, not the strikers, the midfielders or the defenders.

  "It is a problem of a team that did not understand that this was a key aspect of the match."