Austria captain David Alaba may not be able to play in the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament due to a major knee injury, but he will still be a crucial part of the team as a ‘non-playing captain’. The Austrian Football Federation announced the provisional squad of 29 players on Tuesday, with coach Ralf Rangnick making some tough decisions in light of recent injuries.
Despite Alaba’s absence on the field, Rangnick expressed his delight that the Real Madrid defender will still be with the team in Germany. “It is a great shame of course that he isn’t available to us as a player. Over the last weeks I’ve have had close exchanges with David. He stressed he wanted very much to still be with us,” Rangnick said.
In addition to Alaba, midfielder Xaver Schlager and goalkeeper Alexander Schlager will also miss the tournament due to knee injuries. This leaves Austria with a challenging road ahead as they face tough opponents in Group D, including France, the Netherlands, and Poland.
Despite the setbacks, the Austrian squad is determined to make their mark at Euro 2024. They will play friendlies against Serbia and Switzerland in preparation for the tournament, with a mix of experienced players like Marko Arnautovic and promising talents like Thierno Ballo and Romano Schmid in the squad.
As the team gears up for the competition, all eyes will be on how they perform without their star captain on the field, but with Alaba’s leadership and support off the pitch, Austria is ready to face the challenges ahead.