Dinamo's footballers are in the middle of the international break. After a brief refresh following the last league match against Lokomotiva, Marijo Kovačević's players have continued working hard in training ahead of the matches and challenges that await them.

The first encounter ahead of them is against Segesta on Wednesday, 30 September. It will be a friendly match to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Sisak's Old Lady.

"After Lokomotiva, we gave some players a few days off, while others who arrived later needed more intensive training. I believe we used that time well. The work is going very well, I must praise the players. They came with enthusiasm and desire. The match against Segesta is important for us because it gives us a chance to give opportunities to players who have played less so far. Other players need to stay in rhythm, so it will be a good test ahead of the difficult and challenging matches that lie ahead of us."

The match in Sisak will also serve as an overture for the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup round of 16 match against Vukovar, which is played on Sunday, 4 October.

"Of course, after Segesta some things will be clearer to me for the Cup match, because that is a competitive match after all. I believe that the players who get the chance against Segesta will give me reason to think about them for the match against Vukovar as well."

Currently, quite a few players are still absent - nine of them are with their national teams, some are injured, some are ill, so several players from the B team have been included.

"We currently have four from Dinamo B with us. Those are Fuzy Taylor, Borna Orlić, Noa Mikić and Petar Šimun Žaja. We might include one or two more. On Tuesday, Goda got injured in training, so he won't be able to play against Segesta. We also have problems with a virus - Galešić and Kačavenda fell ill. Valinčić was also down with the virus, but he has recovered so he will most likely be available."

The match against Segesta won't be just an ordinary friendly match, it will also be a celebration of the 120th anniversary of Croatia's oldest club, where Dinamo will be a special guest.

"I'm pleased that we'll grace such a great jubilee. We're talking about a good team, we know they knocked Osijek out of the Cup, they had a good start to the championship. I think this is an ideal match for us at this moment in terms of the opponent's strength. We know they are good and quality, but I expect us to show that there is still a difference between the first and second tier. Above all, I expect them to show that they want to play for Dinamo, and that they want to play more. We have a wide roster and here's their chance to show on Wednesday that I can count on them."

Kovačević concluded:

"Now the training sessions are somewhat harder, and the atmosphere is very important to us, both in training and around the club. We got some new players, some left, and you know how the players bonded last season. It's important that the players fit into our system as soon as possible, that they know what Dinamo is. These kinds of matches and training sessions are perfect for strengthening togetherness. We have players with character and I'm convinced that we'll quickly create that winning atmosphere again like we had last season."

The coach revealed to us that Dani Rodríguez, this summer's signing from Barcelona, should play for the first time in the blue jersey against Segesta.

The match against Segesta begins on Wednesday at 4 PM, and you'll be able to follow it live, along with pre and post-match interviews, exclusively on our Dinamo+ app.