ZAGREB, Croatia -- Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic were included in Croatias experienced 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup on Wednesday. Jordan Howard Jersey . The skilful Real Madrid midfielder, with 73 appearances for Croatia, and the prolific Bayern Munich striker, with 54 caps, are expected to form the spine of countrys team at the World Cup, where it will play host Brazil, Mexico and Cameroon in Group A. However, Mandzukic will have to sit out the World Cup opener against Brazil on June 12 in Sao Paulo because of his expulsion during Croatias playoff match against Iceland. Also included in the provisional squad are defender Darijo Srna and Brazilian-born striker Eduardo of Shakhtar Donetsk, midfielders Ivan Rakitic of Sevilla and Niko Kranjcar of Queens Park Rangers, and strikers Ivica Olic of Wolfsburg and Nikica Jelavic of Hull. In 1998, Croatia -- still recovering from a bloody civil war in the Balkans in the early 1990s -- finished third in its maiden World Cup. Since then, the team from a nation of 4.3 million people qualified for three out of four World Cups. Now, the Croats believe they can finish at least second in their group after the highly favoured hosts, and progress to the knockout stage. "Well try our best in Brazil, but the earth wont stop turning if we fail," Croatia coach Niko Kovac said Wednesday while announcing the squad which will be reduced to 23 players on May 31. "There will always be disappointed players, but thats how it goes," the German-born former Croatia midfielder said. "I was not in the team for the 1998 World Cup, but still managed to play at many big events after that." Defender Josip Simunic had to be omitted from the squad after he lost his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday, ruling him out of the World Cup for leading fans in a pro-Nazi chant after the playoff win. "Simunic will unfortunately not be with us in Brazil," Kovac said. "We are friends and Im sad." ------ Squad: Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Oliver Zelenika (Dinamo Zagreb) Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Dejan Lovren (Southampton), Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Gordon Schildenfeld (Panathinaikos), Danijel Pranjic (Panathinaikos), Ivan Strinic (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kyiv), Sime Vrsaljko (Genoa), Igor Bubnjic (Udinese) Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Niko Kranjcar (Queens Park Rangers), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kyiv), Ivan Perisic (Wolfsburg), Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan), Milan Badelj (Hamburg), Ivo Ilicevic (Hamburg), Marcelo Brozovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Mocinic (Rijeka), Mario Pasalic (Hajduk Split), Sammir (Getafe) Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich), Ivica Olic (Wolfsburg), Eduardo da Silva (Shakhtar Donetsk), Nikica Jelavic (Hull), Ante Rebic (Fiorentina), Duje Cop (Dinamo Zagreb) Dion Sims Jersey . Louis Blues were workmanlike, methodical and -- most of all -- effective on Monday night. Jim McMahon Jersey . Their 9-19 record remains identical to the crosstown rivals in Brooklyn and trails both Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic Division. Raymond Felton, their declining point guard, is back on the sideline nursing his third injury of the season. http://www.cheapbearsjerseysonline.com/?tag=gale-sayers-jersey-online .com) - Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of 16th-ranked Sooners 48-14 loss to No.LONDON -- In the Premier Leagues top-four shuffle, its Arsenal leading the way again -- for now. After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Now the focus turns to Monday night when Manchester City, which is two points behind Arsenal, hosts Chelsea, which is three points further back in third. "I will watch that game with interest because its two competitors against us and its always interesting to see how they behave," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "We gained some points through some other opponents like Liverpool and Man United over this weekend, and I think we know that our results at the Emirates will be massively important until the end." Liverpool remained in fourth place, but its 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion was a missed opportunity to strengthen its pursuit of Champions League qualification. Having led through Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool defender Kolo Toure sloppily gave the ball away to allow Victor Anicheb to equalize for West Brom. Although Wenger still talks of United as a rival, an eighth loss of the title defence -- at Stoke on Saturday -- means the champions are seven points behind Liverpool. And Arsenal is 15 points ahead of United in its quest for a first league title in a decade, after bouncing back from a hard-fought 2-2 draw at Southampton on Tuesday. Despite dominating against Palace, Arsenal was frustrated throughout the first half in its pursuit of a goal against their relegation-threatened but well-organized London rivals. The breakthrough came inside two minutes of the restart as Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his first Arsenal goal since December 2012 on his first leaguee start since being injured on the opening day of this season in August. Cody Parkey Jersey. Santi Cazorla weaved his way through the Palace defence and dinked the ball over for Oxlade-Chamberlain to lift the ball over goalkeeper Julian Speroni from close range. And the 20-year-old England midfielder netted a second in the 73rd minute as he slotted seamlessly back into the injury-hit team. Thomas Rosicky knocked the ball forward to Olivier Giroud, who backheeled it for Oxlade-Chamberlain to strike low into the net as Arsenal went a 10th game in all competitions unbeaten. "Its something I want to add to my game -- more goals -- so it was nice to get two today," he said. And this was a rare day when Luis Suarez couldnt score for Liverpool, instead turning provider at the Hawthorns. In a disjointed first-half display by his team, the Uruguay striker fed the ball to Sturridge at the far post to poke the ball into the West Brom net in the 24th minute. But the winning position was thrown away in the 67th when Toures slack cross-field clearance went straight to Anichebe, who levelled with a low shot from a central position. "Kolo probably shouldnt have received the ball under pressure, and a pass can be misplaced," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "We look to build our game from behind and that has won us many games this season, our ability to construct the game from behind. "Sometimes it will cost you. Today was unfortunately one of those days. Kolo Toure has been brilliant for me, a real leader and an outstanding professional and unfortunately it was that mistake, but theres no blame on him." The draw pushed West Brom a point clear of the relegation zone, just above Palace on goal difference. Jerseys NFL China Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Discount Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Cheap Nike Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Nike Patriots Jerseys Cheap Nike Jets Jerseys Cheap Nike Bengals Jerseys Cheap Nike Browns Jerseys Cheap Nike Steelers Jerseys Cheap Nike Texans Jerseys Cheap Nike Colts Jerseys Cheap Nike Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Nike Titans Jerseys Cheap Nike Broncos Jerseys ' ' '