Croatia coach Slaven Bilic says his players will want to perform well for Eduardo when they start their Euro 2008 campaign.

Eduardo would have featured against joint-hosts Austria at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium on Sunday but for his sickening ankle injury while playing for Arsenal against Birmingham City in February.

"We are motivated also because of Eduardo, it's clear because he is very popular among players," said Bilic.

"He is recovering and he even may even join Arsenal for their preparations (for next season).

"Eduardo's absence is a handicap, we feel it all the time because we consider him one of the best strikers in the world.

"Arsenal have also felt that but we feel we are a good team and have enough to compensate."

Bilic, who looked focused ahead of his side's final training session before their tournament gets under way, has been linked with jobs in the Barclays Premier League but recently signed a contract with Croatia until 2010.

The former West Ham and Everton defender said: "I don't want to sound conceited but there have been a number of offers in the past year and it was our initiative, myself and my co-workers, to stay in Croatia for another two years.

"I don't know what would have to happen for me to change my mind and doing two jobs at the same time is not an option."

Bilic feels this Croatia team can emulate the success of 1996 in the same tournament and even go further than the quarter-final place earned by the likes of Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban and the current coach.

"Twelve years have elapsed since that tournament," Bilic added.

"We were more experienced then, not internationally, and that was our first great tournament.

"But we had individual experience in the Champions League, with players who were triumphant.

"In terms of skill we are very similar, there is the same mindset and team spirit. We are eager to do well and for both teams to be successful."

Austria are ranked 92nd in the world and coach Josef Hickersberger gave his side a 40% chance of victory, but Bilic said: "Football is not mathematics, if it were we would be better.

"Hickersberger has some hopes and he is a positive person and an excellent coach. He hopes for a positive outcome and so do we.

"But this is not like tennis with first serves and second serves and statistics, it sounds good but it doesn't mean much."