Not even Poland’s worst enemy could have designed a scenario so negative for its interests in the week before the start of the Euro Cup. The alarms went off when Robert Lewandowski had to leave injured after 32 minutes during the friendly against Turkey. The great star of Poland and Barcelona will miss his team’s debut against the Netherlands and is a doubt for his team’s second match against Austria due to a muscle problem. At Barcelona he has played 49 games this season with hardly any ailments.
It was the culmination of a black week for the interests of Poland, which has been left without attackers. And it could have been worse. Not only because Lewandowski misses, in principle, the opening of the Euro Cup, but because Swiderski was injured celebrating a goal against the Turks. “We are doing everything possible so that Robert can play the second game, against Austria (it will be played on Friday the 21st),” said Jacek Jaroszewski, doctor of the Polish national team, who also highlighted that Swiderski suffers from a sprained ankle that, in principle, , he will be out for only two or three days.
The bad news hits the team led by Michal Probierz. Just four days ago, the Polish national coach confirmed the loss of his other big star, Milik, the Juventus striker. A serious knee injury will prevent him from playing in the Euro Cup, in which Poland competes in Group D, along with France, the Netherlands and Austria. What happened to Milik is the height of disgrace. The forward broke down in the friendly against Ukraine, but three years ago, in the run-up to Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to the pandemic), he was injured in the same serious way in the last official match with Marseille, his team in That moment. With Lewandowski injured and Milik out, Poland’s chances in a group as competitive as the one they have been given are greatly diminished.
The Netherlands also has problems. Ronald Koeman, his coach, received the third hard blow of the week. Barcelona player Frenkie De Jong will not be in the Euro Cup either. Koeman fired against Barcelona: “He has a history with this injury and we have to think about his health. His club decided to take a risk and this is the price we have to pay for it,” argued the Dutch coach. De Jong was seriously injured with Barcelona in the classic against Madrid and in the Netherlands it is understood that the Catalan club decided to force his presence against Madrid when his right ankle had already been affected by an injury in the same area that occurred in the middle from last season. “I am sad and disappointed not to make it to the Euro Cup. We have been doing a lot in recent weeks, but my ankle needs more time unfortunately,” said the footballer himself on social networks. The absence of the Barcelona player has felt very bad in the Netherlands’ concentration, which loses one of its great references.
In addition, De Jong’s loss joins that of Koopmeiners. The Atalanta midfielder was injured in the warm-up against Iceland. De Roon, also an Atalanta player, will not be at the German event either. Koeman, desperate at so many losses, called up full-back Ian Maatsen, from Dortmund on loan from Chelsea. The defender was on an initial list for the Netherlands. It was a discard and given the barrage of casualties it has counted again for Koeman.
Milik and De Jong join a list of striking absences in this Euro Cup. Whether due to injury or technical decision, players of the caliber of Grealish or Rashford (England) will not be in Germany; Isco, Cubarsí, Llorente or Asensio (Spain); Verratti and Inmobile (Italy); Courtois and Mertens (Belgium); Pogba and Lucas Hernández (France) or Werner, Hummels and Goretzka (Germany).
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