Ralf Rangnick’s side are out to press home their credentials as the genuine dark horse to go all the way in Germany having topped a difficult group featuring Netherlands and France.
Former Manchester United midfielder Marcel Sabitzer has been entrusted with an advanced role in a 4-2-3-1 setup which will be without Wolfsburg ace Wimmer due to a one-game ban on Tuesday.
Bundesliga stalwarts Konrad Laimer and Christoph Baumgartner, who plies his trade in Leipzig where this tie will be played, are the main contenders to replace him while Romano Schmid hopes to keep his place on the opposite flank.
Austria’s run has been all the more impressive given the absence of David Alaba for the entire Euros and finding a first-choice defensive setup has perhaps the biggest challenge for Rangnick.
On Friday, both Gernot Trauner (thigh) and Phillipp Mwene (illness) missed training while Philipp Lienhart and Leopold Querfeld required more time to recover from beating the Dutch and so worked away from the squad.
Lienhart started alongside Maximillian Wober last time out but Trauner and Kevin Danso have also been picked during the group stage, with Mwene up against Alexander Prass for the nod at left-back.
Predicted Austria XI: Pentz; Posch, Danso, Lienhart, Mwene; Seiwald, Grillitsch; Schmid, Sabitzer, Baumgartner; Arnautovic
Suspensions: Wimmer
Doubts: Mwene, Trauner
Time and date: 8pm BST, today on Tuesday July 2, 2024
Venue: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
TV channel: ITV1
