Austria striker Guido Burgstaller suffered a fractured skull in an attack in the center of the country’s capital, his Vienna-based club Rapid said.
Rapid said the 35-year-old is expected to be out of action for several months after suffering a “serious head injury” at the weekend.
They say the former Cardiff City forward was attacked by an “unknown person” and fractured his skull when he fell after a “severe blow”.
The 35-year-old, capped 26 times for Austria, was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, where he will remain for the next few days.
In a statement, Rapid said they “rely on the responsible authorities that the as-yet-unknown perpetrator will be quickly brought to justice.”
Burgstaller joined Cardiff from Rapid City in 2014, becoming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s second signing for the Welsh club.
He made just three appearances for the Bluebirds before moving to German club Nürnberg.
Bagstaller also played in Germany for Schalke and St. Pauli before returning to Rapid in 2022.
He was one of three Austria players dropped by manager Ralf Rangnick in 2023 after they were filmed singing homophobic chants following a 3-0 win against Austria’s city rivals Vienna.
