Poland Forward Robert Lewandowski Faces Injury Scare Ahead Of Euro 2024
Poland may face a double injury setback as they prepare for their Euro 2024 campaign later this week. Head coach Michal Probierz is already dealing with the loss of Arkadiusz Milik, who sustained a knee injury during the friendly against Ukraine on June 7.
Despite having a strong lineup of attacking players, Milik’s absence puts additional pressure on the remaining forwards. However, during Monday night’s 2-1 victory over Turkey, Probierz had to substitute two more forwards within the first 33 minutes of the match.
Karol Swiderski sustained an ankle injury while celebrating the opening goal, forcing him to leave the pitch in the 19th minute. Less than 15 minutes later, star forward Robert Lewandowski suffered a thigh issue and was promptly withdrawn as a precaution by Probierz, who didn’t want to risk further injury to the legendary Barcelona striker.
Regarding the injuries, Probierz stated that he is not currently considering any replacements, although he admitted there is some concern about Swiderski’s injury.
However, on a positive note, Probierz suggested that Lewandowski should be ready to play in Sunday’s Euro 2024 opener against the Netherlands. Following Monday’s match, he remarked, “Karol has sprained his ankle, and we’ll need to await the results of the tests to determine the extent of the injury. There won’t be any immediate changes made. Robert has a minor injury, but it shouldn’t pose a problem.”
Poland is determined to ensure the fitness of both players. The potential absence of Lewandowski, who has scored 82 goals for his country, would undoubtedly be a significant setback for Poland compared to the absence of Swiderski for the opening match.
However, Swiderski’s contribution should not be underestimated, having scored 11 goals in 31 appearances and being part of Poland’s current eight-game unbeaten streak, featuring in seven of those matches.
Probierz does have Krzysztof Piatek and Adam Buksa available as options, but the fact that they began the match against Turkey on the bench suggests that Swiderski may be the preferred choice at the moment.
Poland’s group stage fixtures are against Netherlands (June 16), Austria (June 21), and France (June 25).
