Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Austria could line up for Monday’s Euro 2024 Group D clash with France.
Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick must work around the absence of three serious knee victims for Das Team’s Euro 2024 run, which begins on Monday against France in Group D.
None of David Alaba, Sasa Kalajdzic or Xaver Schlager will be present in Germany for Austria’s third successive Euros campaign, three years after Das Team reached the last 16 for the first time at Euro 2020.
However, most of Rangnick’s current squad is in good nick, with the possible exception of Feyenoord defender Gernot Trauner, who did not take part in training on Friday for precautionary reasons.
Thankfully for Rangnick, a ready-made alternative in Stefan Posch has battled back from a minor knee concern and should form part of the four-man defensive wall in front of Patrick Pentz, who is confirmed to be starting in goal.
Lens’ Kevin Danso and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Maximilian Wober are expected to form the central barrier, while Phillipp Mwene – who also plays in Germany with Mainz 05 – bombs down the left.
Indeed, there is a Bundesliga theme to the Austrian XI, as RB Leipzig’s Nicolas Seiwald and Hoffenheim’s Florian Grillitsch are expected to occupy the deeper midfield slots behind Champions League finalist Marcel Sabitzer.
Completing the Germany-based frontline, Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer and Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner are set to act as the supporting cast to Michael Gregoritsch, expected to get the nod over all-time leading appearance-maker Marko Arnautovic.
Austria possible starting lineup:
Pentz; Posch, Danso, Wober, Mwene; Siewald, Grillitsch; Laimer, Sabitzer, Baumgartner; Gregoritsch
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