AUSTRIA coach Franco Foda is keen to bring Ashley Barnes into the international fold, but a call-up will have to wait for now as the striker doesn't hold an Austrian passport.

According to Sky Austria Barnes, who qualifies for the country through his grandmother, needs to hold an Austrian passport to be picked, having made his sole appearance for Austria Under-20s a decade ago under a permit granted by FIFA.

But while there will be no call-up for friendlies with Slovenia and Luxembourg this month, Foda is an admirer of Barnes and was impressed when he watched him in person on Saturday, with the striker scoring the opener in Burnley's 3-0 win at West Ham.

Foda also revealed that he had asked other players in his squad based in the Premier League for their thoughts on Barnes, with the feedback positive.

"I went to see him against West Ham at the weekend for the first time. He did a really good job by scoring a goal," Foda told Sky Austria.

"Me and my staff were impressed. He can use either foot, is physically very present and makes a lot of good runs. He was also involved in every single offensive play. What can I say, he is a very good striker.

"It was very important for me to see him live in the flesh to judge his competitive quality. Now, there are many other details to be discussed. Is he eligible to play for Austria? When can I involve him in my plans? We will see, what the next weeks may bring.

"I talked to people about Barnes. There are several Austrian players in the Premier League. The feedback was very positive."