Sarah Zadrazil to start for Austria after 16‑month return

After roughly 16 months and a recovered ACL rupture, the 33‑year‑old Sarah Zadrazil is close to her comeback in the Austrian women’s national team. Ahead of the first play‑off‑duel of the World Cup qualification against Kosovo in Pristina and the return leg in Vienna, she said it was nice to be back.

Fit after long rehab

Zadrazil played her last international match on June 3, 2025, before a torn cruciate ligament forced her out of the Bayern squad at the end of September 2025. The rehabilitation lasted about 16 months, after which she returned to the Munich side last month. The player’s quote comes from Thomas Fuernholzer.

Since her return she has accumulated playing minutes in six matches, with her longest appearance after rehab so far being 45 minutes. She emphasizes that the rehab period was very positive and she is grateful for every minute of play.

Zadrazil feels physically good; the rehab may have even improved her basic fitness. She is not worried about her knee, but she must stay clever and patient to minimise the risk.

Under the new head coach Lars Söndergaard, whom she calls the “Neo‑coach”, she is learning a playing system that demands more control of the midfield. “With Alex Schriebl the game was more direct, now we have more ball actions,” explains the defensive midfield player.

Although she has already played 128 internationals for the ÖFB team, an immediate start in the starting eleven is not guaranteed. “I can start, but I don’t know if I will play the full 90 minutes,” she said.

Outlook on play‑off‑duel

The first duel takes place on Friday at the Fadil‑Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, where the pitch conditions had previously been criticised. Zadrazil reminds that in women’s football it is often a struggle with poor conditions, but in Vienna they are excellent.

The return leg will be broadcast live on ORF 1 on Tuesday at 18:00 Uhr. “It’s simply nice to be back,” repeated the 33‑year‑old player ahead of the upcoming match.

Kosovo is assessed as a good team from League C, with Modesta Uka and Ereleta Memeti as particularly dangerous players. Zadrazil warns that the opponent will rely heavily on counter‑attacks and these key players would need to be neutralised.

If Austria progresses, the second play‑off round will likely see Switzerland at the end of November or early December. The team currently sits on eighth place on paper, which in the event of another victory could mean an international play‑off in February.