Rangnick nominated

LIVE from 15:30: Who will make the ÖFB squad?

David Alaba and Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: GEPA)

Austria team boss Ralf Rangnick has included a debutant in his first squad of the new year! Slovenia legionnaire Raul Florucz is in the senior squad for the Nations League play-off clash with Serbia next week for the first time. David Alaba is available again for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury at the end of 2023. The recently injured Xaver Schlager and returnee Stefan Lainer have also been nominated.

ÖFB captain Alaba had played his last international match to date on November 21, 2023 in the test against Germany (2-0) - 485 days later, the Real Madrid defensive star could make his comeback in the ÖFB dress next Thursday (March 20, 8:45 p.m.) in Vienna against the Serbs. It would be his 106th international match. It remains to be seen whether Alaba will be available for both games - the second leg will take place three days later in Belgrade. "I don't think it's very likely that he'll be able to play the whole of both games," said Rangnick.

David Alaba and Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: GEPA)

In principle, he is happy that Alaba will be back. "It's good for him and for us as a team." However, it remains to be seen how the 32-year-old will be after the weekend. "It's still the case that we have to keep an eye on keeping him healthy." Alaba made his comeback for Real in January after more than a year out injured. In February, the Viennese also suffered from adductor problems.

Florucz with "really good odds"
Florucz could make his debut - with twelve goals this season for Olimpija Ljubljana, the 23-year-old currently leads the scoring charts in the Slovenian league. He also has five assists. "That's a really good rate for a player who doesn't always play in the center of attack, but mostly comes in on the right wing as a left-footer," said Rangnick. Florucz was given preference in attack over Freiburg striker Junior Adamu, who is only on the call-up list. Rapid youngster Nikolaus Wurmbrand is also on the list for the first time.

Andreas Weimann is missing through injury. Rangnick hopes that Sasa Kalajdzic will be available for the start of the World Cup qualifiers in June. In addition to Maximilian Wöber and Michael Svoboda, the German will also have to make do with right-back Stefan Posch. Phillipp Mwene could take over his role. Bayern Munich right-back Konrad Laimer, who is usually deployed one step further forward in the ÖFB team, is suspended for the first leg against the Serbs.

This could also open up an opportunity for Lainer. The Mönchengladbach legionnaire made his ÖFB comeback a year ago after recovering from lymph node cancer. In June, he fell victim to the last squad reduction before the European Championship in Germany and has not been called up since. "He's a player who knows what it's all about," Rangnick said of the 32-year-old. "He also knows the style of play from his time in Salzburg. That's why we decided to bring him in."

Xaver Schlager primarily for training purposes
The attacking mainstays Christoph Baumgartner and Patrick Wimmer, who have been ill recently, are also in the squad, as is Xaver Schlager, somewhat surprisingly. The RB Leipzig midfielder recently suffered knee problems again after tearing his cruciate ligament. The 27-year-old has yet to play a competitive match this year. "It won't be the case yet that we see him as a 100 percent fully-fledged squad player," explained Rangnick. Schlager will train and also undergo treatment. "Theoretically, it's also possible that he'll play in both games at the end."

In practice, Rangnick has made provisions with a 25-man squad and thus two more outfield players than usual. One of them is Feyenoord Rotterdam defender Gernot Trauner after recent injury worries. "He hasn't played for three weeks. Gernot is another player who can't be fully counted on for both games," said Rangnick. We'll also have to wait and see with Alexander Prass, who recently picked up an injury in the warm-up. Trabzonspor attacker Muhammed Cham will make his ÖFB comeback after a year out.

Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario)

No outfield player from the domestic league in the squad
Patrick Pentz, Alexander Schlager and Tobias Lawal form the goalkeeper trio. Niklas Hedl and Matthias Seidl have also slipped onto the call-up list. This means that for the first time in two and a half years, there is no Rapid professional in the ÖFB squad. In fact, there is not a single outfield player from the domestic Bundesliga in the squad. "We don't make our nominations based on whether someone plays in the Austrian league or abroad," Rangnick emphasized. Dominik Fitz from Vienna Austria is on the call-up list for the first time. After a long absence, Torino legionnaire Valentino Lazaro is also back on the list.

The goal against the Serbs is promotion to League A of the Nations League. According to Rangnick, the team would have preferred to have made this clear in the fall against Slovenia. However, after a 1-1 draw in their last international match to date, his team will have to take a detour via the play-off. 43,000 tickets have been sold for the home game against the Serbs. According to managing director Bernhard Neuhold, the ÖFB is expecting a sold-out Ernst Happel Stadium. The return match to Belgrade will be flown on an Austrian Airlines charter. The airline has been the association's new premium partner since the beginning of the year.

The following players are in the ÖFB squad:<(u>

GOAL: Tobias LAWAL (LASK; 0), Patrick PENTZ (Bröndby IF/DEN; 14), Alexander SCHLAGER (FC Red Bull Salzburg; 17)

DEFENSE: David ALABA (Real Madrid CF/ESP; 105/15), Kevin DANSO (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG; 24/0), Stefan LAINER (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 39/2), Philipp LIENHART (SC Freiburg/GER; 29/3), Phillipp MWENE (1. FSV Mainz 05/GER; 20/0), Alexander PRASS (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim/GER; 13/0), Leopold QUERFELD (1. FC Union Berlin/GER; 4/0), Gernot TRAUNER (Feyenoord Rotterdam/NED; 15/2)

MIDDLE FIELD: Christoph BAUMGARTNER (RB Leipzig/GER; 48/18), Muhammed CHAM (Trabzonspor/TUR; 3/0), Florian GRILLITSCH (Real Valladolid CF/ESP; 50/1), Konrad LAIMER (FC Bayern München/GER; 46/5), Marcel SABITZER (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 87/20), Xaver SCHLAGER (RB Leipzig/GER; 43/4), Romano SCHMID (SV Werder Bremen/GER; 21/2), Nicolas SEIWALD (RB Leipzig/GER; 34/0), Kevin STÖGER (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 3/0), Patrick WIMMER (VfL Wolfsburg/GER; 21/1)

ATTACK: Marko ARNAUTOVIC (Inter Milan/ITA; 121/39), Raul FLORUCZ (NK Olimpija Ljubljana/SVN; 0), Michael GREGORITSCH (SC Freiburg/GER; 62/19), Marco GRÜLL (SV Werder Bremen/GER; 5/0);

On call: Niklas HEDL (SK Rapid; 1), Nicolas KRISTOF (SV 07 Elversberg/GER; 0); Samson BAIDOO (FC Red Bull Salzburg; 1/0), Flavius DANILIUC (Hellas Verona/ITA; 3/0), Marco FRIEDL (SV Werder Bremen/GER; 5/0); Thierno BALLO (RZ Pellets WAC; 0), Dominik FITZ (FK Austria Wien; 0), Mathias HONSAK (1. FC Heidenheim/GER; 0), Florian KAINZ (1. FC Köln/GER; 28/1), Valentino LAZARO (FC Torino/ITA; 36/3), Dejan LJUBICIC (1. FC Köln/GER; 9/1), Matthias SEIDL (SK Rapid; 8/1); Junior ADAMU (SC Freiburg/GER; 9/0), Maximilian ENTRUP (LASK; 3/1), Arnel JAKUPOVIC (NK Osijek/CRO; 0), Nikolaus WURMBRAND (SK Rapid; 0)