Top star out for European Championship opener
Injured Lewandowski causes “great fear”
11.06.2024, 15:54
There is “great fear” in Poland: people are worried about Robert Lewandowski, the captain of the national football team. The world-class goalscorer is injured and it seems doubtful whether he will be able to help his country decisively at the European Championships.
Robert Lewandowski crept to the bench, put a bag of ice on his thigh and swore briefly. The striker had imagined his 150th international match for Poland to be very different, but just a few days before the start of the European Championships, an entire football nation is now worried about its superstar. “Great fear for the captain,” was the headline in the newspaper Super Express, and in view of the numerous injuries, asked: “What comes next?”
On Tuesday afternoon, the devastating answer came: Lewandowski, the Polish association announced, will be out at least for Poland’s first group match on Sunday (3 p.m./RTL and MagentaTV, as well as in the live ticker on ntv.de) in Hamburg against the Netherlands due to a torn muscle fiber in his thigh. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that Robert can play the second game against Austria,” said team doctor Jacek Jaroszew. Poland will play against Austria in Berlin on June 21.
Lewandowski was injured on Monday evening in a test match in Warsaw against Turkey (2:1) without any external influence. He was substituted in the 33rd minute of the game. Out of pure caution, as national coach Michal Probierz emphasized shortly before departure to Hanover: “There is hope that Robert is not seriously ill.” A torn muscle fiber is of course serious enough – will ten days be enough for the 35-year-old striker to recover?
Bitter loss of strikers
It is more bad news for the Poles, who are now practically without a player in attack. Before Lewandowski, his strike partner Arkadiusz Milik injured his knee in the second minute of the friendly against Ukraine (3:1) – he is definitely out for the European Championships. Karol Swiderski also had to leave the field injured against Turkey. It is unclear whether he will be fit enough for Sunday.
Despite the concerns, national coach Probierz initially decided against a possible late nomination. “I hope that both recover in time, so we certainly won’t call anyone. I wouldn’t see a problem here,” he said – Lewandowski’s absence could now make him rethink things.
Lewandowski in particular has been looking forward to the European Championship for weeks. Almost 16 years after his debut against San Marino, the tournament could be his last hurrah in the jersey of the white and reds. And as luck would have it, Poland’s last group game in the difficult Group D against France is in Dortmund. The match in his long-time adopted home could be Lewandowski’s last appearance on the big international stage. If he is fit by then.