 | WALES v AUSTRIA World Cup qualifying Group 6 | 26 March 1500 GMT | Millennium Stadium | Live BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and this website |
Austria have suffered a further injury blow ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Wales, after defender Martin Hiden ruptured his cruciate knee ligament. That training mishap followed the withdrawal of top striker Roland Kollman for Saturday's Cardiff match.
Hiden has flown home to Austria for a scan after giving up on the wait in a Cardiff hospital.
Austria team doctor Alex Weissenbeck said the treatment should have been given immediately.
Hiden had already been struggling before his more serious injury, while Kollmann - the Austrian League's top scorer - has been ruled out after injuring his thigh playing for his club Grazer AK on Sunday.
His place in the squad goes to Sturm Graz forward Roland Linz.
Mario Hieblinger, Martin Stranzl, Markus Katzer and Ernst Dospel are also struggling to be fit for Saturday's match in Cardiff.
Markus Schopp, who scored twice in last October's 3-3 draw with Northern Ireland, is already out with a knee injury; while Markus Kiesenebner and Dietmar Kuhbauer are banned for the first game.
Both will be available for the return match in Vienna four days later.
Austria are third in Group Six after claiming five points from their opening four matches, while Wales are fifth with two points.
Said coach Hans Krankl: "We will know after the two games against Wales whether we have a chance of qualifying.
"We have a small chance if we can win the spring games.
"We played well in the autumn; we were very unlucky against Poland, and fought hard in Northern Ireland before conceding a 94th-minute equaliser."
Austria squad to play Wales in World Cup Group Six qualifiers on 26 March in Cardiff and 30 March in Vienna:
Helge Payer (SK Rapid Wien), Andreas Schranz (Grazer AK), Ernst Dospel (FK Austria Wien), Anton Ehmann (Grazer AK), Mario Hieblinger (FC Kelag K�rnten), Markus Katzer (SK Rapid Wien), Joachim Standfest (Grazer AK), Emanuel Pogatetz (FC Spartak Moskva), Martin Stranzl (VfB Stuttgart), Ren� Aufhauser (Grazer AK), Martin Amerhauser (Grazer AK), Andreas Ivanschitz (SK Rapid Wien), Markus Kiesenebner (FK Austria Wien), Roland Kirchler (SV Pasching), Bozo Kovacevic (SV Pasching), Dietmar K�hbauer (SV Mattersburg), Stefan Kulovits (SK Rapid Wien), Wolfgang Mair (FC Wacker Tirol), Bozo Kovacevic (SV Pasching), Roland Linz (Sturm Graz ), Christian Mayrleb (SV Pasching), Mario Haas (JEF United), Ivica Vastic (FK Austria Wien).
MMIX
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