Austria national team coach Ralf Rangnick is set for another operation on his right ankle in three weeks. At the same time, he named a 25-man squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Ireland and Israel, featuring twelve Bundesliga players. The team enters these fixtures on an unbeaten run of two wins and two draws from their last four competitive matches.

Rangnick's procedure is scheduled for November 23. It will involve fusing his ankle joint to restore mobility. The 68-year-old said his condition had not improved. Since summer 2025, he has undergone four operations on the same foot and has been using mobility aids like a knee roller and an e-bike. He hopes the procedure is less dramatic than it sounds and expressed the expectation of being able to walk pain-free again afterwards.

Squad features debutant and returnee

The squad for the matches on November 14 at home to Ireland and November 17 away to Israel in Debrecen sees the return of Christoph Baumgartner. The attacking midfielder missed the 2022 World Cup due to injury. A major surprise is the first call-up for 17-year-old Luca Weinhandl. Captain David Alaba is absent injured, as are Paul Wanner and Patrick Wimmer. Wimmer provided the assist for Alexander Prass in the last match against Ireland on October 1.

The team leads Nations League Group B3 with eight points from four matches. Their form from the last four competitive games reads two wins and two draws unbeaten. The most recent match was a 1-1 draw in Kosovo on October 4, where Christoph Lang equalised in the 85th minute from a Sasa Kalajdzic assist. Prior to that, there was a 2-2 draw in Ireland on October 1, with goals from Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch. Before that, wins against Kosovo (3-1) and Israel (3-1) in late September secured their strong position.

The next task is the home game against Ireland on November 14. A win there would further cement Austria's position at the top of Group B3 and edge them closer to direct promotion back to Nations League A. Preparation for that match will begin shortly, with Rangnick taking charge of training despite his impending surgery. His contract as head coach runs until after the 2028 European Championship.

Further reading: News zur deutschen Nationalmannschaft