Vienna, June 2 -- Austria have suffered a major setback ahead of the FIFA World Cup, with midfielder Christoph Baumgartner ruled out of the tournament due to a thigh muscle injury, the Austrian Football Association confirmed on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old sustained the injury during the warm-up before Austria's international friendly against Tunisia on Monday. Subsequent MRI scans revealed the extent of the problem, ruling him out of the World Cup and forcing team officials to seek a replacement.

Baumgartner heads into the tournament's sidelines after an impressive campaign with RB Leipzig, where he registered 17 goals and nine assists across all competitions.

"Christoph Baumgartner will be missed by the national team at the World Cup. Th...