For international double

LIVE from 6pm: Rangnick announces ÖFB squad

Team manager Ralf Rangnick today announced his ÖFB squad for the upcoming international double-header.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria's soccer team boss Ralf Rangnick is testing a debutant from Rapid Vienna in his squad at the start of the European Championship year. Offensive man Christoph Lang is in the squad for next week's training camp in Marbella and the following tests against Slovakia (March 23 in Bratislava) and Turkey (March 26 in Vienna). In addition, Stefan Lainer will make his comeback to the national team nine months after being diagnosed with lymph node cancer, while Marko Arnautovic has not been named.

Lang, who trained at Sturm, played for Ried and Hartberg on loan last year before joining Rapid in the winter, where he quickly became a regular. "If you look at his development, he has taken another step forward with each of these transfers," said Rangnick about the 22-year-old, who he has known since a training course for promising players in Pula at the end of 2022. "He was the player who showed the most there. He has his own quality in terms of physicality and technique."

Ralf Rangnick announced his ÖFB squad for the upcoming international double today.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Lainer last played for the ÖFB team in September 2022 against Croatia (1-3). "We've been in contact the whole time, so I know how difficult the time was for him," explained Rangnick. "I thought it was remarkable right from the start how he dealt with it mentally and psychologically." After overcoming cancer, Lainer has played seven league games since the winter break. Rangnick said of the 31-year-old that he had "seen him again with the same bite and commitment" as he knew him.

Arnautovic and Kalajdzic injured
Not least due to the absence of strikers Marko Arnautovic and Sasa Kalajdzic through injury, the decision was made to test Lang at the penultimate training session before the European Championship in Germany. "He can play all three positions in attack," said Rangnick. They had also considered Wolfsberg's Thierno Ballo, but then decided on Lang.

Freiburg's Lienhart back on board
Salzburg defender Flavius Daniliuc, Sturm Graz midfielder Alexander Prass and attacking players Muhammed Cham (Clermont Foot) and Andreas Weimann (West Bromwich Albion) return to the team. The same applies to Rapid central defender Leopold Querfeld, who, like Lang, has not yet played an international match, but was given a taste of the senior team last year. In addition to captain David Alaba, the injured Gernot Trauner and Samson Baidoo are also missing from the defensive center. Rangnick has called up Philipp Lienhart, however. The Freiburg defender has not played a game for more than two months following a groin operation. "He is fully fit and able to train again," Rangnick reported after a phone call with Freiburg coach Christian Streich. "We then also agreed that it made sense for him to be with us."

Team boss Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"No longer spoiled for choice"
The Austrians also want to rely on Lienhart's club colleague Michael Gregoritsch in the center of attack at the European Championships. "Of course we have to hope that Gregerl stays healthy - especially now that he's played more and has had a taste of success again," said Rangnick. "There can't be too much going on up front and in central defense. We're no longer spoiled for choice there either."

The absence of players of the quality of Alaba and Arnautovic is noticeable: "It's still manageable for this course. We hope that everyone will be fit again by the EURO," explained Rangnick. He has also not completely written off Sturm Graz attacker Manprit Sarkaria after he suffered a broken ankle last week. "But it will be a race against time."

Alaba update
This also applies to Alaba, who is currently undergoing rehab in Madrid following his cruciate ligament rupture, but also travels back and forth to his surgeon in Innsbruck to reassess the healing process. According to Rangnick, the Real Madrid star will also join the ÖFB team before the Turkey international and watch the game from the stands. "If everything goes normally, he will join us in Vienna in the next three days."

While Wolfsburg's Patrick Wimmer is available again after tearing his syndesmosis ligament in his ankle, Rangnick only put Dejan Ljubicic and his Cologne colleague Florian Kainz on the call-up list. The team boss spoke to both of them on the phone on Monday. Until the final announcement of the European Championship squad, everyone still has the chance to recommend themselves, according to the message. Rangnick: "The door is open for everyone until June 7."

Squad without Grüll, Burgstaller and Hedl
Marco Grüll, Guido Burgstaller and Niklas Hedl have reduced their own chances. Rangnick omitted the trio from his first squad of the year - according to his own statements, also due to the verbal outbursts in which the Rapid players were involved after the Vienna derby a week and a half ago. Rangnick did not rule out a return to the ÖFB squad at a later date. However, the German also called for a serious review of the incidents. "An apology as lip service is no apology."

Here is the complete ÖFB squad:

Goal: Tobias Lawal (LASK, 0 caps), Patrick Pentz (Bröndby IF/DEN, 4), Alexander Schlager (Red Bull Salzburg, 15)

Defense: Flavius Daniliuc (Red Bull Salzburg, 1/0), Kevin Danso (RC Lens/FRA, 16/0), Stefan Lainer (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER, 38/2), Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg/GER, 19/1), Phillipp Mwene (FSV Mainz/GER, 9/0), Stefan Posch (FC Bologna/ITA, 28/1), Leopold Querfeld (SK Rapid, 0), Maximilian Wöber (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER, 21/0)

Midfield: Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig/GER, 34/11), Muhammed Cham (Clermont Foot/FRA, 2/0), Florian Grillitsch (1899 Hoffenheim/GER, 40/1), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich/GER, 32/4), Christoph Lang (SK Rapid, 0), Alexander Prass (Sturm Graz, 3/0), Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund/GER, 77/17), Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig/GER, 40/3), Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen/GER, 7/0), Matthias Seidl (SK Rapid, 3/0), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig/GER, 20/0), Patrick Wimmer (VfL Wolfsburg/GER, 8/0)

Attack: Maximilian Entrup (TSV Hartberg, 1/0), Michael Gregoritsch (SC Freiburg/GER, 51/12), Andreas Weimann (West Bromwich Albion/ENG, 21/1)

On call: Cican Stankovic (AEK Athens, 4), Dejan Stojanovic (SCR Altach, 0), David Affengruber (SK Sturm Graz, 0), Thierno Ballo (Wolfsberger AC, 0), Andreas Gruber (FK Austria Wien, 0), Florian Kainz (1. FC Köln, 27/1), Dejan Ljubicic (1. FC Köln, 9/1), Thomas Murg (PAOK Saloniki, 0), Nikolas Sattlberger (SK Rapid, 0), Kevin Stöger (VfL Bochum, 0), Junior Adamu (SC Freiburg, 6/0), Ercan Kara (Samsunspor, 7/0)