DAVID ALABA will be on Austria’s bench at Euro 2024 – even though he cannot play due to injury.
The 31-year-old was his country’s talisman and was due to captain them this summer before he suffered the cruel blow.
Alaba’s Real Madrid team-mates were left unable to look after he sickeningly twisted his knee in a 4-1 win over Villarreal in December.
The star has appeared for Austria at both the previous Euros in 2016 and 2020 but has failed to recover from the blow in time for a third.
He underwent major knee surgery last December before going under the knife again last month.
However, he has suffered no complications with either operation, and he has now got the green light to help Ralf Rangnick’s team in Germany.
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Alaba met up with Austria’s squad for their pre-tournament friendlies against Serbia and Switzerland.
Now Real Madrid have agreed to let him stay and continue his recovery with Austria doctors and medical team so he can still skipper his nation despite being unable to take the field.
Discussing the “non-playing captain”, Rangnick said: “It is a great shame of course that he isn’t available to us as a player.
“Over the last weeks I’ve had close exchanges with David. He stressed he wanted very much to still be with us.
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“Therefore, I am very happy to say this will be possible after a good discussion with his club Real Madrid.”
Alaba missed out on Real Madrid’s Champions League and LaLiga double due to the injury.
But Carlo Ancelotti and the ace are both still hopeful that he remains on course to return to action in September.
Austria are based in Berlin, with Rangnick’s side training at Mommsenstadion, the home of sixth tier Tennis Borussia Berlin.
They head into the tournament unbeaten in seven, with five of those victories.
The 2008 co-hosts face France in their opening match on Monday before clashes with Poland and the Netherlands in Group D.
And now they will have Alaba, as well as Rangnick, leading them from the touchline as they look to try and reach the knockouts.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
