Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 8y

Austria consider moving Alaba further forward in midfield for Portugal game

David Alaba could be moved into a more attacking role for Austria in their upcoming match against Portugal.

Alaba, 23, was one of several Austrians to disappoint in the 2-0 defeat against Hungary on Tuesday.

The Bayern Munich defender played in holding midfield, the role he prefers and has constantly played for his country, but drew criticism for his performance, with coach Marcel Koller saying his role at the club could be part of the problem.

Alaba played in several positions at Bayern last season, including left-back, centre-back and in a back three.

And when asked about Alaba in his post-match news conference, Austria coach Koller said: "David plays in midfield for us and in defence at Bayern. That's a small problem."

A day later, Koller clarified his criticism.

"The adjustment takes a bit of time," he said. "When you play at full-back or centre-back you always have the match in front of you and the running paths are also much more intense.

"He is an outstanding player, who can adjust. But it's not ideal for us. It would be best if he could play in midfield all season."

Alaba could take up an even more attacking role for Austria in their upcoming match with Portugal after attacking midfielder Zlatko Junuzovic, 28, was ruled out for the group stages with an ankle injury.

"He has often played in that position," Koller said about moving Alaba up the field. "You could see that he can be dangerous in attack. That's an option."

Austria will also need to replace Aleksandar Dragovic, who was sent off only minutes after Hungary's opening goal, but Koller ruled out moving Alaba back into defence.

"This option is not in my head," he said. "In Kevin Wimmer and Sebastian Prodl we have candidates for that."

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