Austrian striker Guido Burgstaller suffered a skull fracture as a result of an attack in the center of the country’s capital, his club Rapid Vienna announced.
Rapid said the 35-year-old would be sidelined for several months after suffering a “serious head injury” over the weekend.
The former Cardiff City striker is said to have been attacked by an “unknown man” and fractured his skull when he fell after a “brutal punch”.
The 35-year-old, who has represented Austria 26 times, was examined at the scene and then taken to hospital, where he will remain for the next few days.
In a statement, Rapid said it “trusts the responsible authorities that the yet unknown perpetrator will be quickly brought to justice.”
Burgstaller joined Cardiff from Rapid in 2014, becoming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s second signing at the Welsh club.
Before joining German club Nurnberg, he made just three appearances for the Bluebirds.
Bugstaller also played in Germany for Schalke and St Pauli before returning to Rapid in 2022.
He was one of three Austrian players dropped by manager Ralf Rangnick in 2023 after they were filmed singing homophobic chants following a 3-0 win over city rivals Austria Wien.
