Austria without 4 regulars for Wales, Georgia qualifiers

Austria will be without four injured regulars for the World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Georgia next month.

Goalkeeper Robert Almer and midfielders Zlatko Junuzovic, Valentino Lazaro and Alessandro Schoepf were all missing from the 23-man squad announced by coach Marcel Koller yesterday.

Also, Florian Grillitsch and Guido Burgstaller still had to get fit in time for the Wales game.

"Grillitsch hasn't played yet but resumed team training a week ago. Burgstaller is being treated for a twisted foot," said Koller, who called up defenders Maximilian Woeber and Moritz Bauer for the first time.

Winger Marko Arnautovic and defensive midfielder Stefan Ilsanker returned from suspensions after sitting out the team's 1-1 draw in Ireland in June.

Austria plays Wales in Cardiff on September 2 and hosts Georgia in Vienna three days later.

With four rounds left, Ireland and Serbia share the lead in Group D, and four points behind are Austria and Wales. Only the group winner is guaranteed a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Austria: Goalkeepers: Daniel Bachmann (Watford), Heinz Lindner (Grasshopper), Markus Kuster (Mattersburg)

Defenders: Moritz Bauer (Kasan), Kevin Danso (Augsburg), Aleksandar Dragovic (Leverkusen), Martin Hinteregger (Augsburg), Stefan Lainer (Salzburg), Sebastian Proedl (Watford), Maximilian Woeber (Rapid Vienna)

Midfielders: David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (West Ham), Julian Baumgartlinger (Leverkusen), Florian Grillitsch (Hoffenheim), Martin Harnik (Hannover), Stefan Ilsanker (Leipzig), Florian Kainz (Bremen), Konrad Laimer (Leipzig), Marcel Sabitzer (Leipzig), Louis Schaub (Rapid Vienna)

Forwards: Guido Burgstaller (Schalke), Michael Gregoritsch (Augsburg), Marc Janko (Sparta Prague)