David Alaba has been deemed fit to travel with Austria's 2026 World Cup squad following a muscle injury suffered on Monday, while Christoph Baumgartner has been ruled out of the tournament due to a thigh problem.
The Austrian captain was substituted at half-time in the 1-0 friendly win against Tunisia, but received the green light to head to the United States with the rest of the group.
The 26-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder suffered a muscle injury in his thigh during the warm-up for Monday's game and is out of the World Cup, the Austrian federation confirmed on Tuesday. Baumgartner is one of the team's most influential players and arrives after a great season in Germany, with 17 goals and nine assists in all competitions for the Bundesliga club.
“This is, of course, very difficult news for Christoph and for us as a team”, lamented coach Ralf Rangnick, in a statement. "He is an important player and a central personality in our group. Now, all our support goes to his recovery."
Austria's campaign at the 2026 World Cup begins against Jordan on June 16th, followed by the reigning world champion, Argentina, on June 22nd, and closes against Algeria on June 28th.