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Poland is facing potential setbacks as they gear up for their Euro 2024 campaign, which is set to kick off later this week.
Head coach Michal Probierz has already been dealing with the loss of Arkadiusz Milik, who sustained a knee injury during a friendly against Ukraine on June 7.
Despite having a wealth of attacking talent, Milik’s absence places added pressure on the remaining forwards.
The situation became more complicated during Poland’s 2-1 victory over Turkey on Monday night.
Within the first 33 minutes of the match, two more key forwards had to be substituted due to injuries.
Karol Swiderski, who celebrated Poland’s opening goal, suffered an ankle injury and was forced to leave the pitch in the 19th minute.
Just 14 minutes later, star striker Robert Lewandowski went down with a thigh issue, prompting Probierz to withdraw him as a precaution.
Probierz has indicated that he is not looking to call up any replacements at this stage but expressed concern over Swiderski’s injury.
However, he offered a glimmer of hope by suggesting that Robert Lewandowski is expected to be fit for Poland’s Euro 2024 opener against the Netherlands on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Probierz said, “Karol has sprained his ankle, and we will only know the full extent of the injury after further tests.
There will be no changes made to the squad. Robert has a slight injury but should be fine.”
The potential loss of Lewandowski, who has scored 82 goals for his country, would be a significant blow for Poland.
Nevertheless, Swiderski’s contribution should not be overlooked, with 11 goals from 31 appearances and his participation in seven of Poland’s last eight unbeaten matches.
Probierz does have other options, such as Krzysztof Piatek and Adam Buksa, who started on the bench against Turkey. Their inclusion might suggest that Swiderski is currently the preferred choice.
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Poland’s group stage fixtures in Euro 2024 include matches against the Netherlands on June 16, Austria on June 21, and France on June 25.
The team will be hoping for a speedy recovery for their star players to boost their chances of progressing in the tournament.
