Alaba cleared but Baumgartner ruled out of Austria World Cup

Austria captain David Alaba passed a late fitness test and is included in the World Cup squad. He suffered a muscle injury during Monday’s training session. Christoph Baumgartner will miss the tournament after failing to recover from a hamstring problem. The midfielder was ruled out of Thursday’s final squad announcement. Alaba trained separately on Tuesday and Wednesday and received medical clearance ahead of the squad’s departure. Austria’s first match is against France on September 21. Baumgartner’s withdrawal leaves Austria with 25 players instead of 26. His absence follows a recurrence of a previous hamstring issue that disrupted his club season with RB Leipzig. Head coach Ralf Rangnick confirmed both updates in a press conference on Wednesday. Austria’s World Cup campaign begins in four days in Lyon. Austria face France, Denmark, and a third opponent in Group D. Baumgartner’s replacement will not be called up under FIFA’s deadline.