Israel Faces Austria in Nations League Qualifier Amidst Player Absences

Less than 2,000 tickets remain for Thursday night's Nations League qualifier between Israel and Austria in Linz, with Austrian media confident the stadium will be full. Austrian outlets are not giving Israel much credit, noting their defensive absences and remaining unfazed by the potential absence of key players like Christoph Baumgartner, Marcel Sabitzer, David Alaba, and Marko Arnautović. While the Austrian team will train and hold their press conference an hour and a half from the stadium, the Israeli squad will have their final training session at the venue.

For the first time, Israeli coach Ran Ben Shimon will have a full squad available for training due to Yom Kippur and the refusal of US-based clubs to release their players. Thaijo Abeid, Liel Abada, and Idan Toklumati arrived on one flight, while Dor Turgeman and Ilai Feingold arrived separately, all expected to participate in the final practice.

Ben Shimon plans to speak with the US-based forwards about their readiness to overcome jet lag, with some having taken sleeping pills on the advice of team doctor Udi Kaufman. The coach will decide on the starting striker after these conversations, considering Dor Turgeman, Liel Abada, or Seyd Abu Farhi.

In defense, the decision between Idan Nachmias, who has recovered from an injury, and Raz Shlomo will be made after the final training, with a preference for a player from Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the back four. Meanwhile, Israeli Football Association chairman Shino Zuarz, his deputy Moran Meiri, and CEO Yariv Tepper will meet with Austrian FA officials. They also scheduled meetings with Willy Ruttensteiner and Andy Herzog, former coaches of the Israeli national team, with Ruttensteiner having recently served as a professional advisor to Zuarz.