Croatia trio sent home

Three of Croatia’s key players have been sent home just days before the Euro 2008 qualification match with Russia.

Midfielder Darijo Srna and strikers Bosko Balaban and Ivica Olic were banished after leaving the camp to attend a party in a notorious disco in Zagreb.

Instead of spending the night in their beds in Brezice, the three were out on the town at 5am.

Team manager Slaven Bilic was left fuming, but he has no plans to fill the gaps left by their departures ahead of Wednesday’s game in Moscow.

“We’ll manage with the players we have here,” he said.

A couple of years ago, midfielder Igor Biscan was discarded for the same reason by then coach Otto Baric and his international career has been in limbo since.