A women's race is scheduled tomorrow, before men's competition on Wednesday (January 5).

American star Mikaela Shiffrin, who leads the overall world Cup standings and is a four-time world champion in the slalom discipline, could return to action on the Sljeme slope near the Croatian capital.

Shiffrin missed last week's giant slalom and slalom races in Lienz in Austria after testing positive for COVID-19.

Should Shiffrin be cleared to compete through a negative test, she will have a chance to break Swedish icon Ingemar Stenmark's all-time single-discipline record for World Cup wins.

Shiffrin is on 46 slalom triumphs, level with Stenmark's giant slalom tally.

Defending World Cup champion Vlhová has won three of this season's four slalom races, including last time out in Lienz with Shiffrin absent, so is another skier primed for success.

The Slovakian has won this race in each of the last two seasons to earn the Snow Queen Trophy.

Shriffin was victorious each of the two seasons before that, and has four World Cup wins at the venue in all.

Katharina Liensberger, the current slalom world champion, is set to lead the Austrian charge after coming second on home snow last time out.

Michelle Gisin, who was third in that race, headlines a depleted Swiss team following Camille Rast, Aline Danioth and Mélanie Meillardall testing positive for COVID-19 and being forced to withdraw.