SALZBURG

ÖFB team: two Salzburgers nominated – SALZBURG24

Marko Arnautovic, Aleksandar Dragovic, Christoph Baumgartner, Philipp Lienhart and Valentino Lazaro for the away games on Saturday against the Faroe Islands and on the following Tuesday against Denmark. Andreas Ulmer is questionable because of an infection.

Wöber and Grüll later nominated

In addition, the long-term injuries Xaver Schlager, Stefan Lainer, Sasa Kalajdzic and Julian Baumgartlinger, whose failure had been certain for a long time, are missing. Team boss Franco Foda nominated Kevin Danso, Phillipp Mwene, Maximilian Wöber, Ercan Kara and Marco Grüll.

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Arnautovic is missing the ÖFB team

Arnautovic was substituted on Sunday at the 3-0 home of his clubs Bologna over Lazio Rome in the finish. The Viennese had to pass due to muscle problems as well as Christoph Baumgartner, who was already missing from Hoffenheim’s 3-1 in Stuttgart on Saturday for this reason. Lazaro also suffered a muscle injury in the Champions League victory of Benfica Lisbon over FC Barcelona. The ex-Salzburg man has been struggling with muscle injuries for years.

Dragovic is not available due to a corona infection. Lienhart is not ready for an acute dental operation. Whether Ulmer is eligible for the international double will be decided on Tuesday.

Thin staffing in the national team

Of the five subsequent nominees, only Rapid professional Marco Grüll has no A-Team experience. Regardless of the thin staffing level, ÖFB sports director Peter Schöttel hopes that the national team will do well. “The whole thing always holds a chance for others if proven forces are not there,” said the Viennese. “There is already a lot missing from the permanent staff, nonetheless we want to complete this course in the best possible way.”

According to Schöttel, the failures of Lazaro and Baumgartner had already emerged in the past few days, but Arnautovic’s short-term cancellation was particularly painful. Even the striker himself was contrite. “My doctors have forbidden me to come to the team,” wrote Arnautovic on Facebook. “You know, I would arrive with broken bones to fight for Austria, but unfortunately this time I have to accept that I’m not there.”

Faroe Islands is waiting for Austria

Schöttel assumes that Arnautovic, like Baumgartner, Dragovic, Lazaro and Lienhart, will be available again in the November games – in contrast to Schlager, Lainer, Kalajdzic and Baumgartlinger. For now, however, you have to try with a rump group to cope with extremely unpleasant tasks. First it goes away against the Faroe Islands, with which the ÖFB has had a sport-historical relationship since Landskrona 1990. In addition, the island kickers are an unpleasant opponent, especially at home, as the Danes do not realize until September. Back then, they won 1-0 with a goal in the 85th minute.

Schöttel does not give up second place

It was the closest victory for the Danes in the current World Cup qualifying, in which they have not yet given a point or conceded a goal in six games. In addition, it should come down to the fact that the form-strong European Championship semi-finalist could finally fix group place first and thus participation in the World Cup with a victory over Austria of all things – accordingly motivated the hosts should go to work on October 12th in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

Nevertheless, Schöttel exuded optimism. “We know about our quality,” emphasized the former Rapid trainer. You are still aiming for second place in the group. With four games to go, Austria is eleven points behind Denmark, four points behind Scotland and three points behind Israel in fourth place.

(Source: APA)

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