Reece James and Hakim Ziyech react to what 28-year-old Chelsea player did at the World Cup yesterday

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Chelsea players Reece James and Hakim Ziyech both took to Instagram to praise Mateo Kovacic for advancing to the knockout stages of the World Cup.

The 2018 finalists confirmed their place in the second round of the tournament following a 0-0 draw against Belgium, sending them home in the process.

The Red Devils were left to rue a number of chances missed by Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku.

On the other hand, the footballing world were left amazed at the performance of Josko Gvardiol in defence for Croatia.

While strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, the 20-year-old put in a display his national media thought was the best of his career.

Kovacic has also reaped the rewards for three consecutive strong performances in Qatar.

His qualification for the knockout stages was praised on Instagram by club teammates James and Ziyech.

James and Ziyech congratulate Kovacic

The Moroccan will also be in the next round of the tournament after topping the group ahead of Croatia.

Kovacic’s performances during the World Cup have potentially shown that he is beginning to return to full fitness, which would be encouraging for Chelsea fans.

Graham Potter has admitted that the 28-year-old has been struggling with an ongoing knee issue for the entirety of the season.

This has seen him unavailable at certain times during this campaign, with him not being present a massive loss whenever he has been missing.

Kovacic’s fitness for the remainder of the season will be a crucial asset for Chelsea as they try and recover from an underwhelming season so far.

However, first he will be focusing on Croatia and their efforts in the World Cup.

Despite finishing second in their group, their match-up with Japan is arguably one of the best to have on paper. However, their victories over Spain and Germany suggest they are certainly no pushover.