Christoph Baumgartner is out of the World Cup after suffering a thigh muscle injury during Monday's pre-match warm-up. Austria confirmed the news on Tuesday, and Ralf Rangnick called it "very bitter news" for the player and the team. The timing is especially painful for Austria, who lose an attacker with 33 appearances, 13 goals and 8 assists for RB Leipzig across all competitions this year.
Austria also get a lift over David Alaba
There was at least one piece of better news for Austria. David Alaba was substituted at half-time of Austria's 1-0 friendly win against Tunisia, but he has been passed fit to travel to the United States. That matters because Austria need experienced players available with the tournament starting soon.
Rangnick did not dress it up. "He is an important player and a central personality within our team," he said of Christoph Baumgartner. "Now our full support is for his recovery." That is a fair read of the situation. Austria lose a major attacking outlet, but they at least avoid the bigger blow of also losing Alaba.
What Austria face next
Austria open their World Cup campaign against Jordan on 16 June, then face Argentina on 22 June and Algeria on 28 June. Those matches now arrive with Baumgartner unavailable, which puts a heavier load on the rest of the attacking group from the first whistle.
For Austria, the immediate task is straightforward: replace one of their central players without pretending the loss is minor. Baumgartner's output for RB Leipzig shows exactly why this matters, and Rangnick's reaction made clear how high he is rated inside the squad.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
