Austria hit by injury crisis ahead of WC qualifier

Austria will miss five regular starters because of injuries for next month’s 2010 World Cup qualifying games against Lithuania and France.

Defenders Emanuel Pogatetz, Martin Stranzl and Sebastian Proedl, along with strikers Rubin Okotie and Marko Arnautovic were all missing from the 22-man squad announced Tuesday by Austria coach Dietmar Constantini.

Defender Gyoergy Garics and former captain Andreas Ivanschitz, who was expected to return to the team for the first time under Constantini, were both overlooked.

LASK Linz midfielder Thomas Prager received his first call-up since February 2008.

Three players could make their first appearance in the team – goalkeeper Christian Gratzei, defender Ekrem Dag and midfielder Christopher Drazan.

Austria has a slim chance of reaching the qualifying playoffs from Group 7.

It needs France to drop at least two points against the Faeroe Islands, and it must beat both Lithuania in Innsbruck on Oct. 10 and France in Paris four days later.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Christian Gratzei (Sturm Graz), Helge Payer (Rapid Vienna), Andreas Schranz (Austria Kaernten).

Defenders: Ekrem Dag (Besiktas), Aleksandar Dragovic (Austria Vienna), Christian Fuchs (Bochum), Manuel Ortlechner (Austria Vienna), Juergen Patocka (Rapid Vienna), Paul Scharner (Wigan), Franz Schiemer (Salzburg), Andreas Ulmer (Salzburg).

Midfielders: Julian Baumgartlinger (Austria Vienna), Daniel Beichler (Sturm Graz), Christopher Drazan (Rapid Vienna), Andreas Hoelzl (Sturm Graz), Jakob Jantscher (Sturm Graz), Yasin Pehlivan (Rapid Vienna), Thomas Prager (LASK Linz).

Forwards: Erwin Hoffer (Napoli), Marc Janko (Salzburg), Stefan Maierhofer (Wolverhampton), Roman Wallner (LASK Linz).