Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has been ruled out of the Croatian squad after having trouble with his left Achilles tendon.

The 28-year-old was set to link of with the Croatian national team for their World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Finland but will remain at Camp Nou to recover from his injury.

Meanwhile, his the midfielder’s availability for Barcelona training sessions will all depend on how his recovery process is doing, according to the Barcelona website.

‘Ivan Rakitic will not join with the Croatian national side because of some problems in the Achilles heel on his left leg. His progress will determine whether or not he plays in FC Barcelona’s next games,’ the club confirmed.

On an international level, Rakitic has netted 13 goals in 81 appearances for the Croatian national team since making his debut in 2008 at the age of 19-years-old under then coach Slaven Bilic.

Image: Barcelona website