Portugal vs Croatia Predicted Lineups & Team News

Portugal had to settle for second place in Group K at the FIFA World Cup and they've drawn Croatia in the round of 32. They meet on Thursday in Toronto (7pm local time/Friday 12am BST, BBC One).

Below I run through all the latest Portugal vs Croatia team news and predicted lineups.

Portugal

Roberto Martinez has rotated his Portugal team throughout the group stage, so there may be some more changes ahead of their first knockout match. Joao Neves is expected to return to the midfield in place of Ruben Neves.

Joao Neves should feature alongside Vitinha, whom he plays alongside domestically for European champions Paris Saint-Germain. Pedro Neto and Joao Felix have been deployed on the flanks in the previous two games, but Bernardo Silva featured on the right for their opener against DR Congo.

Rafael Leao is another wide option but he's not yet been trusted to start. Bruno Fernandes will continue to operate in the number 10 role behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has two goals at the tournament so far.

Goncalo Ramos will tussle with Ronaldo to lead the line but the new AC Milan attacker is unlikely to get the nod ahead of Portugal's all-time top scorer.

The Selecao das Quinas have no injury concerns heading into this clash.

Croatia

Josko Gvardiol was left out of Croatia's XI against Ghana on matchday three. It was a surprising omission but he's expected to come back in to face Portugal, likely at left-back.

Veteran Luka Modric has struggled to have an impact at the tournament but he's set to carry on in midfield next to Mateo Kovacic. Ante Budimir came off the bench to score the winning goal against Ghana last time out, so he could be rewarded with a start on Thursday.

This would presumably see Petar Musa dropped down to the bench for the first time this tournament.

Croatia have reported no injuries in the build-up to this fixture.

Remember you can bet on this match and check out all of the live Portugal vs Croatia Odds over on betfred.com

Portugal vs Croatia Key Players:

Joao Neves (Portugal)

Neves should be well-rested for this clash against Croatia. The Portuguese midfielder is considered among the best in the world for his position, having just won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles with PSG.

He's well-rounded so he's an asset to his team in both boxes. Neves has already opened his account for the tournament with a headed goal against DR Congo on matchday one.

Neves and Vitinha will be the driving force for Portugal on Thursday and I think the former's influence will be more telling in Toronto.

Martin Baturina (Croatia)

Attacking midfielder Martin Baturina has been a bright spark for Croatia despite the Kockasti's struggles to light up the tournament during the group stage.

The Como star is being closely monitored as he is being linked with several clubs around Europe in the summer transfer window, including Tottenham Hotspur.

He'll be tasked with breaking down Portugal's defence, which does leave gaps to exploit when they commit bodies forward. Baturina has one goal to his name in North America, so he's as accomplished at taking chances as he is at creating them.

For all of our coverage and betting markets for the festival of football this summer, please check out our World Cup Odds over on betfred.com