AUSTRIA BOSS MARCEL Koller has named a 23-man squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Ireland.
Fourth in Group D behind the Boys in Green, Serbia and Wales at the halfway point, the Austrians need a win at the Aviva Stadium on 11 June to kickstart their campaign.
They are without Stoke City star Marko Arnautovic, who is suspended, while Red Bull Salzburg full-back Andreas Ulmer misses out after arranging his wedding for the same weekend as the game.
Koller is not best-pleased with the 31-year-old defender and revealed that he would no longer be considered for the national team.
“Since 2002, there has been an international game at the end of the season,” Austria media outlet Klein Zeitung report Koller as saying.
The player has been called up for years, but he decides to plan his wedding instead of joining up with the team. I can’t understand that.”
There are four uncapped players in the squad — goalkeepers Daniel Bachmann (Stoke City) and Markus Kuster (Mattersburg), Augsburg defender Kevin Danso and midfielder Konrad Laimer of Red Bull Salzburg.
Austria squad for World Cup qualifier v Ireland
Goalkeepers: Daniel Bachmann (Stoke), Heinz Lindner (Eintracht Frankfurt), Markus Kuster (Mattersburg)
Defenders: Kevin Danso (Augsburg), Aleksandar Dragovic (Bayer Leverkusen), Martin Hinteregger (Augsburg), Stefan Lainer (RB Salzburg), Valentino Lazaro (RB Salzburg), Sebastian Prodl (Watford), Stefan Stangl (RB Salzburg), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham)
Midfielders: David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Julian Baumgartlinger (Bayer Leverkusen), Florian Grillitsch (Werder Bremen), Martin Harnik (Hannover), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Florian Kainz (Werder Bremen), Konrad Laimer (RB Salzburg), Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig), Louis Schaub (Rapid Vienna)
Forwards: Guido Burgstaller (Schalke), Michael Gregoritsch (Hamburg), Marc Janko (FC Basel)
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