Chelsea may have already returned to first team training at Cobham but as the World Cup reaches the zenith of the group stage there remains a great deal of Blues interest in the competition. On Thursday afternoon Croatia took on Belgium with both teams still needing to secure their place in the last-16.
There was not shortage of players who would be familiar to Chelsea on the pitch. Mateo Kovacic has starred for the Kockasti, while Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Thorgan Hazard were all on Roberto Martínez's bench. There were also some players who have been linked to Graham Potter's squad on show however.
Josko Gvardiol battled against Leandro Trossard in Qatar and given Chelsea's summer attempts to land the RB Leipzig star, his performance could remain of interest to the Blues' hierarchy. The 20-year-old has already impressed in the tournament and became the second player under 21 to start a World Cup match for Croatia, following in the footsteps of Kovacic.
READ MORE: Injury return, Potter's hint - 4 things learned from Chelsea training ahead of Aston Villa clash
A €50milion (£43million) release clause is said to come into play in the summer and that could prove tempting to Todd Boehly and co. With that said football.london took a look at how Gvardiol performed versus Belgium as Croatia ensured World Cup progression in a goalless draw.
0-15 minutes
Four minutes in Gvardiol found himself chasing Trossard as the Brighton star moved away from goal and curved his run. The 20-year-old perhaps did not get close enough to put any pressure on the attacker but Trossard was unable to provide any danger in the move.
Soon after Gvardiol displayed his composure as he intercepted the ball in his own box and carried out some close knit passing in the area with his teammates.
Again the defender found himself battling Trossard but at the halfway line on this occasion. The Belgian looked to hold up the ball but Gvardiol reached around to dispossess the 27-year-old. However, the Croatian was judged to have bundled into Trossard and a free kick was given.
Gvardiol looked to provide progressive passes rather than those simply to the feet of his teammates.
15-30
It was a quieter period for Gvardiol as the pace of Belgium's attacks slowed down but he still showed comfort on the ball and decent positioning when Belgium held the ball.
30-45
The young defender showed his ability to dominate play as he stepped out to win the ball against Kevin de Bruyne and Trossard with authority on the half hour mark. His challenge was able to start an attack and he went on to show supreme timing and strength when outpaced by Trossard to win the ball and prevent a very dangerous looking counter as the last man.
45-60
It wasn't long before Gvardiol had to show his awareness as he patrolled the space on front of Romelu Lukaku, who was introduced at half time, and read De Bruyne's attempts to find his teammate. The Dinamo Zagreb youth product continued to show his composure and ability to read the game by using the pace he did have to collect the ball under pressure from Hazard before ensuring he looked to complete a pass rather than blazing the ball away.
60-75
The Croatian defence was fortunate to see Romelu Lukaku twice miss true chances, with Gvardiol's presence on the goalline perhaps ensuring a small target for the Belgian to aim for. Gvardiol was further able to show his ability to carry the ball through Belgium's lines akin to former Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger.
75-90
Belgium looked to build some threat but within a 30 second period Gvardiol made two challenges on the edge of the box and cleared the ball with a strong header from the eventual cross.
With 10 minutes left on the clock, Gvardiol looked to exploit a pocket of space in the Belgium half and carried the ball into the opposition box but was perhaps a little surprised and a pause in thought saw him find a number of defensive bodies in his way.
Soon after provided a slightly scary moment where he intercepted a through ball outside of his own area and the ball fired into his keeper's arms. No indirect free kick awarded however. The pressure continued as the clock ticked on and Gvardiol was left frustrated when Dominik Livaković did not claim a ball he called for, but the defender was able to force a corner. He further added a crucial block in the 86th minute, denying Lukaku a certain goal and stood tall in stoppage time as Belgium laid siege to the goal.
Verdict
Gvardiol and Dejan Lovren were given a difficult task in the heart of defence against Belgium's front three and were regularly confronted by attackers directly running at them during the first half. Though the Red Devils had little impact, there is no doubting the assured nature that Gvardiol conveys in his performances.
By no means slow, the 20-year-old is not necessarily a speed merchant but his reading of the situation appears to often hand him an extra yard. It was telling that when Lukaku was introduced that the forward attempted to keep out of Gvardiol's sight to ensure Lovren was the player who needed to take responsibility.
The youngster's presence is undeniable on and off the ball he never seemed underthreat of being dribbled past, was forceful in the challenge and can carry the ball well. He does not display the eccentricities of Antonio Rudiger but he imbues as much confidence in his play.
He will face stiffer tests than Belgium provided but still provided more clearances than his teammates and saw more touches than most too. He gave little sense that he was a player short of experience and will be giving any club watching a lot to think about.
READ NEXT:
Reece James gives Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi verdict as ideal Chelsea teammate named
Transfer plans, Pulisic point - 5 things Chelsea and Graham Potter have learned in the World Cup
Reece James gives Chelsea injury update as England star makes 'super tough' World Cup admission
Trent Alexander-Arnold sends Jude Bellingham six-word message as Liverpool transfer hint dropped
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: Latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
