World Cup Don’t fight Belgium striker, Lukaku – Kovacic tells Croatia teammates. Mateo Kovacic, a midfielder for Croatia, has asked his colleagues not to engage in physical contact with Romelu Lukaku, a striker for Belgium, during today’s FIFA World Cup F semifinal match.
At Chelsea, a powerhouse in the Premier League, Kovacic and Lukaku are colleagues.
Lukaku is presently on loan from Chelsea to Inter Milan.
The former Manchester United great should be able to play against Kovacic’s team on Thursday night after recovering from an injury.
When asked what advise he would give his Belgium teammates on Lukaku, Kovacic said to reporters at his pre-game news conference on Wednesday, “I will leave it to the coach.”
Just avoid physical conflict with him, I’ll say.
The contest between Belgium and Croatia will begin at 4 p.m.
At Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Croatia merely needs a point to advance to the Round of 16, while Belgium needs a victory to ensure a knockout tie.
