Hickersberger has room for latecomers

With only four warm-up matches for Austria before their UEFA EURO 2008™ opener against Croatia in June, the finishing touches are still to be applied to coach Josef Hickersberger's squad.

Transition
Charged from January 2006 with building a team to compete at this summer's tournament – the country's first appearance at a UEFA European Championship – Hickersberger has overseen a transitional period, dropping senior players and blooding juniors.

Friendlies
For players on the fringes of the squad, the friendly games beginning against Germany on 6 February, and followed by the Netherlands (26 March), Nigeria (27 May) and Malta (30 May), represent a last chance to stake a claim. "The time for experiments is over," said the coach. "Nonetheless, the odd player could still force his way in with strong performances."

Defensive options
Among those desperate to impress is AEK Athens FC keeper Jürgen Macho. Hardly a regular in Greece this season, the 30-year-old has been omitted from the squad to face Germany next month. "He needs match practice, then he'll be back," said the coach. More fortunate is defender Emanuel Pogatetz. The Middlesbrough FC man, having settled outstanding differences with Hickersberger, has received an opportunity to restate his claim. "His ability was never in question. The concern was whether he could fit into the team dynamic," explained the boss.

Scharner omission
By contrast, Paul Scharner's chances of returning in time for the finals are fading, the Wigan Athletic FC midfielder having been overlooked once more. "He called me a few days ago and I will visit him in England for face-to-face talks. But a year ago he said he did not want to have anything to do with the team," Hickersberger said.

Still hoping
Meanwhile, Roland Linz's prolific form for new club SC Braga has thrown the forward back in contention – he has nine goals in 16 Portuguese Liga outings. "Performance at club level is not the only thing. His willingness to work hard in training has also put him in the frame," said Hickersberger. With FC Salzburg striker Marc Janko close to full fitness following a long lay-off, Linz will be anxious to make a quick impact.

Not enough
Finally, although LASK Linz striker Ivica Vastić, 38, was named Austrian sports journalists' Player of the Year – having scored 32 Bundesliga goals in the last season and a half – Hickersberger is unlikely to turn his focus away from youth. "We decided to make the team younger and we will not be changing our opinion," he said.