Croatia’s loss could be Manchester City’s gain in the 24/25 season

With the Euro 24 group stage complete, Manchester City will have plenty of players in action in the knockout stages of the tournament. But two City players who will not be involved in the rest of the tournament will be Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol. Croatia were surprisingly eliminated in the group stage of the tournament. But Croatia’s loss could be Manchester City’s gain in the 24/25 season.

It was a surprise to see Croatia knocked out so early at Euro 24. They finished third at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and were expected to go deep into this summer’s European Championships. But it was not to be for the Croats. Two draws and a defeat in their Group B matches was enough to see them knocked out of the tournament early. While it was a disappointment for Croatia and Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol respectively, it is a positive for Manchester City as they prepare for next season.

The world champions begin preparations for the 24/25 season next month. Many of City’s key players will be unavailable for the start of pre-season due to international commitments. But the likes of Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb and Jack Grealish will be available from the start of City’s pre-season. Now it looks like they could be joined by Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol. Although they will have time off after their international duties with Croatia, there is now a chance they could almost get a full pre-season. They will almost certainly now tour the United States for City’s tour of America.

The champions look like they will have an inconsistent start to next season. Having so many players unavailable for pre-season may present a problem for Pep Guardiola. But the possible inclusion of Kovacic and Guardiol is a bonus for the City manager. The more first-team players they can play in pre-season is a positive for the champions.

Croatia’s loss looks to be Manchester City’s gain for next season. Guardiol and Kovacic look set to have a full pre-season. This is positive news for the champions with the 24/25 season just a few months away.