Austria calls up Ljubicic to replace injured Baumgartner at World Cup

Rangnick's reasoning

Rangnick has yet to publicly explain the change of heart. "Warum er sich für Ljubicic entschieden hat, hat Ralf Rangnick bisher noch nicht offiziell begründet," the Austrian press reported. ORF expert Andreas Herzog said he was "überrascht" by the late call-up, though he acknowledged that the communication around the decision mattered. "Wenn man nie spricht, wird spekuliert," Herzog said.

Ljubicic, a defensive midfielder by trade, has earned nine caps and scored one goal for Austria, with his most recent appearance coming in September 2023 in a 1-1 draw against Moldova. He was last called up in October 2023. His selection comes after a productive spring at Schalke, where he played all 15 of the club's 2. Bundesliga matches, scoring four goals and adding three assists as the club secured promotion to the Bundesliga. The Austrian head coach of Schalke is Miron Muslic.

Profile of the late call-up

Versatility was cited as a key reason for the call-up. "Vor allem seine Vielseitigkeit. Ljubicic kann Innenverteidiger, Außenverteidiger oder im Mittelfeld die Positionen des Sechsers, Achters, Zehners oder wie zuletzt bei Schalke sogar rechts außen spielen," the Austrian report stated. The former Rapid Wien player is also noted for his fitness, having played every match in the spring season.

The 28-year-old Viennese joined Schalke in January from Dinamo Zagreb for a fee of 750,000 euros. He had been a regular starter in Croatia in the autumn, scoring two goals in the Europa League. With his nomination, Schalke will have three players at the World Cup, joining Bosnia and Herzegovina's Edin Dzeko and Nikola Katic. Rangnick's squad now contains 14 players under contract with German clubs, one shy of the permitted 26-man maximum.

A short fuse: training and test matches

Ljubicic flew from Vienna to Los Angeles on Thursday and was expected to arrive at the Austrian team base in California on Wednesday evening local time. He is scheduled to train with the squad for the first time on Friday in Santa Barbara. Thursday is the first training-free day since the team arrived in California a week ago, with the players gathering for a shared breakfast before dispersing; several are expected to drive to Los Angeles, more than two hours away.

Herzog also noted that the team was missing a proper test match before the opening fixture. "Das kann uns schon abgehen. Spieler wie Paul Wanner oder Carney Chukwuemeka sind noch relativ neu. Über eine Woche vor der WM kein Spiel zu haben ist nicht optimal," he said. Wimmer, who recently moved to TSG Hoffenheim, quoted Rangnick as telling the squad after the Tunisia win that "Die Karten sind nach dem Tunesien-Spiel neu gemischt worden."

A cruel blow for Baumgartner

The squad made do with an internal practice match instead. Left back Alexander Prass described the format: "Die Herangehensweise war schon so, dass wir richtig was liegen lassen, über den gewissen Punkt drübergehen, aber nicht grätschen, damit es keine Verletzungen gibt. Das hat jeder gut gemacht, es war ein richtig guter interner Test." Wimmer added that the segments were brief: "Es waren dreimal 15 Minuten, wir haben viel durchgewechselt."

The timing of the decision left a narrow window. "Zeit für eine Nachmeldung hat Rangnick noch bis 24 Stunden vor dem ersten WM-Gruppenspiel am 16. Juni (17. Juni, 6.00 Uhr MESZ) in Santa Clara gegen Jordanien," the report noted. Austria's group also includes defending champions Argentina and Algeria. The match against Jordan will be Austria's first World Cup appearance since 1998.

For Baumgartner, the absence is a heavy blow at the worst possible moment. He underwent surgery two days after his injury in Turku, Finland, performed by internationally recognized muscle specialist Lasse Lempainen. "Laut seinem Operateur, dem international anerkannten Muskelspezialisten Lasse Lempainen, hatte sich der Niederösterreicher eine Verletzung der Sehne des geraden Oberschenkelmuskels an der Vorderseite (Musculus rectus femoris) im oberen Bereich zugezogen," the medical report stated. The injury is described as severe and requires at least several months of recovery, ruling him out of Leipzig's season start and Austria's September Nations League fixtures.

From Zagreb to a World Cup chance

The attacking midfielder had been Leipzig's top scorer in the German Bundesliga, with 13 goals and nine assists, and added four more in the DFB-Pokal as RB Leipzig finished third in the league. In the latest Bundesliga market value update, his valuation rose from 30 million to 40 million euros, making him the most valuable Austrian player in the world. He will, however, remain with the squad in a supporting role.

According to Leipzig, both the club and the federation accommodated Baumgartner's explicit wish to be near his teammates during the tournament. "Laut Leipzig-Angaben entsprachen der Klub und der Verband mit der Reha in Nordamerika dem ausdrücklichen Wunsch des 26-Jährigen, seine Kollegen während des Turniers vor Ort zu unterstützen," the statement said. A similar arrangement was made for Austrian captain David Alaba at Euro 2024 in Germany.

Wimmer, speaking about his own move to Hoffenheim, framed it in terms that echoed the squad's wider outlook. "Das ist ein guter, nächster Step, auch um international zu spielen," he said, describing the transfer as a chance to test himself on a bigger stage. The Austrian delegation in California is now preparing to integrate its late addition, with the opener against Jordan less than a week away.

First World Cup since 1998

Ljubicic's previous involvement with the senior national team had been limited to nine caps and a single goal, spread across a career that has taken him from Rapid Wien in his native city to Zagreb and then to Gelsenkirchen. The call-up marks his first senior selection since 2023, and his first major-tournament involvement with Austria. He will join an Austrian squad that has spent the past week acclimatising to the conditions in Santa Barbara, where the team will be based throughout the group stage.

With the squad currently at 25 players, the coaching staff retains the option of adding another name within 24 hours of the opening match. For now, attention is focused on integrating Ljubicic and managing the recovery of Baumgartner, whose presence in the camp is intended to lift a group preparing for its first World Cup outing in nearly three decades.