ÖFB head coach Ralf Rangnick has called up Sturm’s talented midfielder Luca Weinhandl for the first time for the upcoming international fixtures. Christoph Baumgartner returns after recovering from injury. Numerous other players from the Bundesliga are also in the squad.
With eight points from their first four matches, the Austrian national team are in a comfortable position heading into the final stages of the Nations League. In mid-November, the ÖFB squad will face Ireland (at home) and Israel (on neutral ground). On Monday afternoon, head coach Ralf Rangnick announced his squad.
Making his debut is young talent Luca Weinhandl (17) from Sturm Graz. Weinhandl has established himself as a regular for Sturm this year. According to media reports, the 1.90-metre-tall player is said to have attracted interest from several major English clubs. Should Weinhandl make his debut before the end of the year, he would be the fourth-youngest ÖFB international since 1950. Only Alaba (debut in 2009), Hans Buzek (1955) and Yusuf Demir (2021) were younger.
Rangnick is “in regular contact” with David Alaba. The ÖFB head coach expects the first-choice captain – who is currently carrying an injury – to return to action for Udinese following the league break for international fixtures.
Meanwhile, Christoph Baumgartner of RB Leipzig is back in the squad after recovering from a thigh injury. Commenting on Baumgartner’s return to fitness, Rangnick said: “You can’t come back from an injury much better than this… but we’ll have to see how much he’s got left in the tank.”
The 27-year-old is not the only player returning from the Bundesliga. With ten points from his first eight matches, Bremen’s Marco Grüll has also earned himself a place back in the team. Alongside his team-mate Alexander Schlager, Mainz’s Phillipp Mwene and Stefan Posch, Philipp Lienhart (Freiburg), Alexander Prass (Hoffenheim), Carney Chukwuemeka (BVB), Konrad Laimer (FC Bayern), Nicolas Seiwald (Leipzig), Junior Adamu (Schalke) and Michael Gregoritsch (Augsburg), there are a total of twelve players based abroad in the squad.
Demir close to the cut
Commenting on Yusuf Demir, who is on the standby list, Rangnick said: “Rapid are on a real run of form. He’s certainly played his part in that.” However, Weinhandl is “quite a bit younger” and Sascha Horvath is a similar type of player.
The important thing is that “Demir has finally found his form again”. It cannot be ruled out that he “will be back for one of the next training camps”.
Austria’s squad for the November international fixtures
Goalkeepers: Lukas Jungwirth (LASK), Alexander Schlager (Werder Bremen), Florian Wiegele (Viktoria Plzeň), Christian Zawieschitzky (FC Red Bull Salzburg)
Defenders: David Affengruber (Fulham FC), Felix Bacher (Olympique Lyon), Kevin Danso (Sunderland AFC), Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg), Phillipp Mwene (1. FSV Mainz 05), Stefan Posch (1. FSV Mainz 05), Alexander Prass (TSG Hoffenheim), Michael Svoboda (Brighton & Hove Albion FC)
Midfield: Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig), Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund), Sascha Horvath (LASK), Konrad Laimer (FC Bayern Munich), Christoph Lang (LASK), Xaver Schlager (Nottingham Forest FC), Romano Schmid (Frosinone Calcio), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Luca Weinhandl (SK Sturm Graz)
Forwards: Junior Adamu (FC Schalke 04), Michael Gregoritsch (FC Augsburg), Marco Grüll (SV Werder Bremen), Sasa Kalajdzic (LASK)