Austria Euro 2024 squad: Who makes the cut? Which stars have missed out?

Austria manager Ralf Rangnick has selected his 26-player squad for Euro 2024.

UEFA confirmed earlier this month that squad sizes have been increased from 23 to 26 players for this year's eagerly-anticipated continental tournament, and all squads must include at least three goalkeepers.

However, most nations took the approach of initially selecting a group of players that exceeds the squad limits with friendlies planned beforehand.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the Austria players that have now been selected for the tournament, and which players have missed out on featuring in the competition which gets underway on June 14.

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Which Austrian stars have been selected?

Rangnick has only been able to select three players for his Austria squad who have earned more than 50 caps, with Marcel Sabitzer, Marko Arnautovic and Michael Gregoritsch meeting that criteria.

Midfielders Konrad Laimer and Christoph Baumgartner will also have major parts to play, while Maximilian Wober, wthe Borussia Monchengladbach loanee who is contracted to Leeds United, is a key figure in defence.

As a result of an injury that we will mention later, Heinz Lindner is now the senior goalkeeper in the ranks. The other three members of that department have just seven caps between them.

As many as 11 members of the 29-player group had earned nine caps or fewer before the warm-up friendly fixtures, highlighting the level of inexperience in the ranks.

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Which Austrian stars will miss Euro 2024?

David Alaba may have been selected as a non-playing captain, but the Real Madrid defender remains sidelined with the knee injury that he suffered in December.

Red Bull Salzburg goalkeeper Alexander Schlager and RB Leipzig midfielder Xaver Schlager have also each sustained knee injuries and will miss the tournament.

Florian Grillitsch needed to be substituted during the friendly with Serbia due to a head injury, but he has since been selected in the 26-player squad.

The players who missed out at the final cut were goalkeeper Tobias Lawal, defender Stefan Lainer and playmaker Thierno Ballo.

What are Austria's pre-tournament plans?

A 2-1 victory was recorded over Serbia on June 4, before Austria were held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland four days later.

Austria have been drawn in a group alongside France, Poland and Netherlands, their first fixture scheduled for June 17.

Austria's 26-player squad in full

Goalkeepers: Niklas Hedl (Rapid Vienna), Heinz Lindner (Union Saint-Gilloise), Patrick Pentz (Brondby)

Defenders: Flavius Daniliuc (Red Bull Salzburg), Kevin Danso (Lens), Philipp Lienhart (Freiburg), Phillipp Mwene (Mainz), Stefan Posch (Bologna), Leopold Querfeld (Rapid Vienna), Gernot Trauner (Feyenoord), Maximilian Wober (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Midfielders: Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig), Florian Grillitsch (Hoffenheim), Marco Grull (Rapid Vienna), Florian Kainz (Cologne), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Prass (Sturm Graz), Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen), Matthias Seidl (Rapid Vienna), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Patrick Wimmer (Wolfsburg)

Forwards: Marko Arnautovic (Inter Milan), Maximilian Entrup (Hartberg), Michael Gregoritsch (Freiburg), Andreas Weimann (West Bromwich Albion)

Group and fixtures

June 17: Austria 0-1 France (8pm | Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf)
June 21: Poland 1-3 Austria (5pm | Olmypiastadion, Berlin)
June 25: Netherlands 2-3 Austria (5pm | Olympiastadion, Berlin)