‘We Don’t Need To Hide’ – Leeds United Star Backs His Country’s World Cup Hopes | OneFootball

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Leeds United star Maximilian Wober is bullish about the Austria team’s World Cup hopes, declaring that they ‘no longer need to hide from any nation’.

Wober, after managing only eight appearances in the preceding season and with the additions of Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw and James Justin in the transfer market, was loaned out to Werder Bremen last summer.

The Leeds centre-back, in a season that saw him feature only seven times for the German side due to various issues, will miss the World Cup due to injury.

That will rob Leeds of the chance to attract suitors for the defender, who is down the Elland Road pecking order.

Wober, though, is backing his country to do well in the USA, drawing confidence from prior results against the Netherlands, Germany and France.

Proclaiming that they ‘no longer need to hide from any nation’, Wober feels that Austria can take the game to the reigning champions Argentina through their relentless pressing.

Wober said in an interview with Sky Sport Austria: “We’re in the same group as Argentina.

“They’re obviously a really, really tough opponent — the reigning world champions — but even so, we’ve shown in the past that we can beat the Netherlands at the Euros, and in the Nations League before that we beat Germany and drew with France played here in Vienna.

“We no longer need to hide from any nation.

“And I believe that Argentina suit us well in terms of playing style.

“They’ll certainly want to take a few risks.

“And if we then get our raiders and get in between them with our pressing, then I reckon they’d better brace themselves.”

Wober, who was forced to withdraw from the national team camp due to muscle concerns in March, backed his nation not only to progress from their group but also to top it ahead of La Albiceleste.

“And I believe we can win the group.

“But I’m convinced of that and I know it too from every single player who’s in America right now, that the expectation is that we’ll definitely go through.”

The Whites have four players at the World Cup, and if not for Wober’s injury concerns, it would have been five, with Ralf Rangnick short of options in central defence as Austria return to the stage after a 28-year wait.

Leeds are being linked with further additions in defence this summer, with Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh of Tromso, and Ousmane Diomande of Sporting Lisbon, said to be of interest to the Whites.

The Austrian defender’s future looks increasingly likely to be away from Elland Road, and the Leeds board will hope that he can get back to full fitness for the benefit of both parties.

If no move does happen, then Wober will at least want to be fit enough to try to win over Daniel Farke through his performances over the course of pre-season.