Personnel worries?

Lienhart suffers cut, trio skip training

The national team trains - without some well-known players.

(Bild: APA)

Defender Philipp Lienhart suffered a minor injury to his face on the eve of the Austrian national soccer team's departure for the final European Championship test in Switzerland. According to an ÖFB spokesman, the Freiburg international suffered a cut over his right eye in a collision during the non-public part of the team training session in Vienna on Thursday and received three stitches. Patrick Wimmer, Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer missed the session altogether.

However, the quartet need not worry about not appearing in team boss Ralf Rangnick's final European Championship squad on Friday. Winger Wimmer, who scored against Serbia (2:1) on Tuesday, is suffering from slight ankle problems, as is striker Arnautovic's thigh. According to the ÖFB, Sabitzer was given a break to manage his workload. The Borussia Dortmund midfield star only joined the team on Tuesday after losing the Champions League final against Real Madrid (0:2) and trained for the first time on Wednesday.

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

Fit against Switzerland
Lienhart should also be fit to face Switzerland. According to Rangnick, the 27-year-old is set to start in central defense with Gernot Trauner in the European Championship dress rehearsal, having not started a game since December due to groin surgery and a knee injury. Lienhart played half an hour against the Serbs and passed the stress test. However, his participation in an ÖFB media appointment on Thursday afternoon was canceled at short notice due to the facial blister.

Trauner had missed the Serbia test due to physical complaints, but took part in training on Thursday and should also fly to the European Championship. Salzburg's Flavius Daniliuc and WAC attacker Thierno Ballo, who was called up for the first time and has not yet played in an international match, are among the other doubtful candidates. Rangnick has to reduce his squad from the current 29 to 26 men by Friday at 11.59 pm and report it to UEFA. According to ÖFB information from Thursday afternoon, it remains to be seen when he will inform the players who have not been nominated.

One goalkeeper has to go
This also applies to the goalkeeper situation. Patrick Pentz, the favorite to start in the opening game against France on 17 June, is probably just as certain of a starting place in the European Championship as Heinz Lindner, who Rangnick has announced will start in goal in Switzerland. The reduction in the squad will therefore affect Rapids' Niklas Hedl or LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal.

According to Rangnick, he is also hoping that regular goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, who has a knee injury and is currently not in the squad, will make an appearance during the tournament. Should the Salzburg goalkeeper be nominated, another player could be called up in his place with a medical certificate before the first European Championship match. Due to a special goalkeeper rule in the UEFA regulations, a replacement would also be possible after the France game. In this case, however, the replacement would have to be a goalkeeper and not an outfield player.