Familiar faces in Austria squad to face N. Ireland

Austria coach Hans Krankl has named former Premiership goalkeepers Jurgen Macho and Alex Manninger in his 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Northern Ireland.

The Austrians are top of Group Six after two matches, level on four points with England following a draw against the English and a win over Azerbaijan in their opening two matches.

Krankl’s men host Poland on October 9 before travelling to Belfast to face Northern Ireland four days later.

Former Sunderland ‘keeper Macho, who belongs to Chelsea but is playing on loan at Rapid Vienna, will contest the number one shirt with one-time Arsenal stopper Manninger and Andreas Schranz.

Defender Martin Hiden, who had a spell at Leeds from 1998 to 2000, is also in the Austrian selection.

Austria squad: Jurgen Macho (Rapid Vienna), Alex Manninger (Siena), Andreas Schranz (Graz AK); Ferdinand Feldhofer (Rapid Vienna), Martin Hiden (Rapid Vienna), Markus Katzer (Rapid Vienna), Andreas Ibertsberger (Salzburg), Anton Ehmann (Graz AK), Emanuel Pogatetz (Graz AK), Joachim Standfest (Graz AK), Martin Stranzl (Stuttgart); Rene Aufhauser (Graz AK), Matthias Dollinger (Graz AK), Gernot Sick (Graz AK), Andreas Ivanschitz (Rapid Vienna), Markus Kiesenebner (Austria Vienna), Roland Kirchler (FC Superfund), Dietmar Kühbauer (SV Mattersburg), Markus Schopp (Brescia); Mario Haas (Sturm Graz), Roland Kollmann (Graz AK), Christian Mayrleb (FC Superfund), Ivica Vastic (Austria Vienna).