Austria national team head coach Ralf Rangnick has confirmed that Alexander Schlager will start in goal for the upcoming UEFA Nations League opener against Israel, addressing selection questions during a press conference on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Selection for the Nations League Opener
Alexander Schlager is set to wear the captain’s or starting gloves for the ÖFB team’s fixture against Israel, scheduled for Thursday with kickoff at 8:45 PM local time, according to head coach Ralf Rangnick. Since his summer transfer from FC Red Bull Salzburg to Werder Bremen, Schlager has seen limited club action, featuring exclusively in the DFB-Pokal. Despite the lack of regular league minutes, Rangnick dismissed immediate concerns about the goalkeeper’s match sharpness.
“At the moment, I don’t see it as a problem; he also played in the cup, and before that, he played a really good World Cup for us. That’s why I can confirm he will start for us tomorrow,” Rangnick told reporters at Wednesday’s press conference.
High Competition and Future Squad Decisions
While Schlager gets the nod for Thursday’s match in Linz, Rangnick emphasized that the starting spot remains contested. The ÖFB roster features several other in-form goalkeepers who are currently starting regularly for their respective club sides. Florian Wiegele represents Viktoria Pilsen, while Lukas Jungwirth of LASK and Christian Zawieschitzky of Red Bull Salzburg have earned maiden call-ups to the senior national setup.
Refining his stance on the position, Rangnick noted that the performance principle applies across the squad. “As a permanent solution, we’ll have to see what that means. We deliberately invited the two young players. They have made a really good impression so far, Florian Wiegele especially. The performance principle applies here too; everyone has to prove themselves. Alex will play tomorrow – what that means for the next matches and training camps remains to be seen,” Rangnick stated.
Upcoming Schedule and Squad Restructuring
Thursday’s home clash against Israel marks Rangnick’s 50th international match in charge of the ÖFB team since taking the helm in June 2022, holding a points-per-game average of 1.90. The fixture kicks off a busy autumn block in the UEFA Nations League. Following the match in Linz, Austria faces three additional encounters during this international window: a home fixture against Kosovo on September 27, an away trip to face Ireland on October 1, and a return match against Kosovo on October 4.
The current training camp in Windischgarsten also reflects wider adjustments following a review of the team’s recent World Cup campaign in the United States. Rangnick noted that player freedom during past tournaments will be curtailed, with tighter lodging and reduced leisure time implemented to restore the team’s trademark high-intensity playing style. The squad enters this autumn block navigating several personnel changes, including Marko Arnautovic’s retirement, Marcel Sabitzer’s temporary break, and injuries to key midfielders Konrad Laimer and Christoph Baumgartner.
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