Kalajdzic is also in the squad
Now LIVE: Chukwuemeka and Wanner in the ÖFB squad
Ralf Rangnick has announced his squad for the two friendly matches against Ghana and South Korea. Making their debut: Carney Chukwuemeka and Paul Wanner. Sasa Kalajdzic is also back in the ÖFB head coach’s squad.
Paul Wanner and Carney Chukwuemeka have been named to the Austrian national soccer team’s roster for the first time. Head coach Ralf Rangnick called up the two promising young players on Monday for the World Cup friendlies in Vienna against Ghana (March 27) and South Korea (March 31). The 28-man roster includes other potential debutants such as Pilsen goalkeeper Florian Wiegele and Spain-based David Affengruber. LASK striker Sasa Kalajdzic returns, as does Venezia’s Michael Svoboda.
The full squad:
For Kalajdzic, this is his first ÖFB call-up in more than two years, following his third cruciate ligament tear. The 6-foot-7 forward played his last of 19 international matches (4 goals) on November 21, 2023, in a Euro qualifier against Germany (2-0). Svoboda played twice for Austria under Rangnick in the fall of 2024, but subsequently suffered a cruciate ligament tear as well. The 27-year-old center back has since regained his starting spot at Venezia and is also captain of the Italian Serie B league leaders.
Querfeld and Grüll only on standby
Svoboda and Affengruber, who secured promotion with Elche in Spain last year, were preferred in central defense over, among others, Union Berlin’s Leopold Querfeld, who—like Werder Bremen striker Marco Grüll—is currently only on the standby list three months before the World Cup kicks off. Grüll’s club teammate Maximilian Wöber, on the other hand, was nominated. However, the 28-year-old has not played in a competitive match since August due to several injuries. Most recently, he was sidelined by a torn muscle fiber.
Captain David Alaba has also been dealing with a calf injury recently. Rangnick described the likelihood of Alaba or Wöber playing against Ghana or South Korea as “highly unlikely.” In reality, therefore, there are only 26 squad players. “They are not expected to play in either of the two matches,” explained the head coach. “I’d still like to have them there, and they’re eager to be there too, just to see the guys again.”
His senior team colleagues won’t get to see Nikolaus Wurmbrand. According to the ÖFB, the Rapid youngster will instead play with the U21s in the upcoming European Championship qualifiers in Belgium and against Belarus. Rangnick named Wiegele as the fourth goalkeeper for the first time, alongside starting goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, Patrick Pentz, and Tobias Lawal. The 24-year-old recently drew attention with strong performances for Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League, among other things.
New hopes for the World Cup
Less surprising were the first-time call-ups of Wanner and Chukwuemeka, who received clearance from FIFA last week to switch federations to the ÖFB. “We never put any pressure on them, but we made it clear at every turn that we’d love to have them with us,” Rangnick emphasized. This approach has paid off. “I am convinced that both will be a huge help to Austria and the national team.” Competition in midfield will “naturally not decrease, but in the end, that always spices things up,” Rangnick said.
Wanner played for Germany up to the U21 level, but the 20-year-old dual citizen, who plays for PSV Eindhoven, opted for a career with Austria’s senior national team. Chukwuemeka came up through the English youth ranks. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder, born in Vienna to Nigerian parents, has now also chosen Austria with the World Cup in sight. The 22-year-old will join the ÖFB squad for the first time next week in Marbella. There, Rangnick’s squad will hold a four-day training camp ahead of their first international match of the year against Ghana.
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