Croatia head coach Zlatko Kranjcar announced on Friday a 24-man squad for the World Cup in Germany next month, taking an extra defender to the Finals as cover.

He will send his official 23-name list to FIFA but will also take Dinamo Zagreb defender Marijan Buljat to Germany as injury cover as injured players can be replaced up to a day before teams' first matches.

“I earlier said I would pick the players who carried the burden of qualifying so I've had a pretty clear picture of who to choose for some time,” Kranjcar told a news conference.

Glasgow Rangers striker Dado Prso will lead the attack for the Croatian's in Germany alongside Ivan Klasnic from Werder Bremen.

Croatia have been drawn in Group F in the World Cup Finals alongside Brazil, Australia and Japan and Kranjcar said he thinks his team can progress from the group stages and that reaching the quarter-finals would be a great success.

“I can feel a great team spirit in the squad and I think we're well capable of doing it," he said.

Croatia will play four friendlies ahead of the World Cup. They meet Austria on May 23 followed by a home game against Iran on May 28.

They then face Poland on June 3 in Wolfsburg, Germany and Spain’s Furia Roja in Geneva on June 7.

Croatia squad for World Cup Finals:

Goalkeepers: Tomislav Butina (Club Bruges), Stipe Pletikosa (Hajduk Split), Joe Didulica (Austria Vienna)

Defenders: Robert Kovac (Juventus), Stjepan Tomas (Galatasaray), Dario Simic (AC Milan), Mario Tokic (Austria Vienna), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Igor Tudor (Siena), Marijan Buljat (Dinamo Zagreb)

Midfielders: Jerko Leko (Dynamo Kiev), Niko Kranjcar (Hajduk Split), Niko Kovac (Hertha Berlin), Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ivan Leko (Club Bruges), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Jurica Vranjes (Werder Bremen), Anthony Seric (Panathinaikos)

Strikers: Dado Prso (Rangers), Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Bosko Balaban (Club Bruges), Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), Ivan Bosnjak (Dinamo Zagreb).

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