Lewandowski won't play in the first match of the European Championship.
In Poland, there's a lot of unease: People are concerned about Robert Lewandowski, the captain of their national football team. The famous striker has gotten injured and it's unclear if he'll be able to assist his country significantly at the European Championship.
Lewandowski made his way to the substitutes' section, applied an ice bag to his thigh, and swiftly made his exit. His 150th international match for Poland was imagined quite differently, only a few days before the EM started, an entire football nation is now worried about their superstar. "Major anxiety about the captain," read the headline of Super Express and queried, "What's next?"
On Tuesday afternoon, a disheartening response arrived: Lewandowski, as declared by the Polish Football Association, won't play in at least the first group game of Poland against the Netherlands in Hamburg on Sunday (3 p.m./RTL and MagentaTV, along with the live ticker on ntv.de) due to a leg muscle injury. "We're trying everything to make sure Robert can play the next game against Austria," stated team doctor Jacek Jaroszew. Poland will face Austria on June 21 in Berlin.
Lewandowski hurt himself on Monday evening in the test in Warsaw against Turkey (2:1) without any external factors affecting him. He was replaced at the 33rd minute. Head Coach Michal Probierz stated ahead of the trip to Hanover: "There's hope it's not serious with Robert." However, a muscle tear is pretty severe - will it be enough time for the 35-year-old striker to recover?
This is another disappointment for the Poles, who have little in terms of scoring power. Apart from Lewandowski, striker counterpart Arkadiusz Milik got injured in the test against Ukraine (3:1) in the second minute - he's out of the EM. Against Turkey, Karol Swiderski also had to be substituted because of an injury. It's undetermined if he'll be ready for Sunday.
Chief Coach Probierz initially dismissed the possibility of calling in a substitute. "I'm optimistic that both will recover in time, we'll definitely not call anyone else. I don't see an issue here," he said - Lewandowski's absence may alter his stance.
Lewandowski has been eagerly anticipating the EM for some time. Almost 16 years after his debut against San Marino, the tournament might be his final moment wearing the white and red jersey. And as it turns out, Poland's last group match in the demanding Group D versus France takes place in his long-time home city of Dortmund. The game against France may be Lewandowski's last appearance on the big international scene if he recovers in time.
