Image via Mikolaj Barbanell/Shutterstock
Mid-way through the first half of yesterday evening’s exciting Premier League tie between Aston Villa and Manchester City, Polish representative Matty Cash was forced off with what looked like a muscle injury to his upper leg.
Following the conclusion of the match, Villa manager Steven Gerrard confirmed that the issue was a hamstring injury and that Cash will be sent for an MRI scan. This naturally makes his appearance in Poland’s next Nations League ties a doubt.
However, Selekcjoner Czesław Michniewicz provided a more optimistic outlook on the injury, writing on Twitter: “Relax, I have info from Mati. Nothing serious.”
So, what is the truth here? Probably something in-between the two comments. I’d be surprised if Cash is available to Gerrard next week as Villa play Leicester, but he will probably be called up to the Nations League squad and might play a part in the second game against Wales in Cardiff.
This begs the question, who can step in to replace Cash for Poland whilst he gets back to 100%? In my opinion, there is the question of whether to replace him as a traditional right-back or as a wing-back. There are probably two options for either of these choices.
As a traditional right-back, the next best option for Poland would be Tomasz Kędziora of Dynamo Kyiv. To date, he has made 26 appearances for the national team and scored one goal, and Kędziora was also part of the Euro 2020 squad. He can also operate as a centre-back on the right side of a back three. The second option is Bartosz Bereszyński of Sampdoria. A very experienced defender, he can also operate similarly to Kędziora when it comes to playing centre-half.
Bereszyński will most likely be in the Nations League squad anyway, so perhaps a different recommendation would be Robert Gumny, who is playing for Augsburg (as I write this article) on the right-side of a back three, although he is a traditional right-back by trade. He has made one appearance every year since 2020 for Poland, and perhaps if Cash’s injury is more serious than Michniewicz is intimating, he could get a chance in the Nations League games.
Depending on whether a wing-back system is more appropriate, however, could see Przemysław Frankowski put in that position. He’s comfortable on either side, although so far this season for Lens he has been operating on the right side of the pitch. Again, he would most likely be receiving a call-up anyway, so perhaps Kamil Jóźwiak is a suggestion. He gets a lot of criticism, perhaps deservedly, but he was playing as a right-wing back in the last Euros for Poland and even got an assist in the 1-1 draw against Spain. His recent performances for Charlotte FC in the MLS have shown marked improvement on what it was, so perhaps a call-up isn’t out of the question, even if it would just be back-up to that right wing-back role.
Cash’s injury is unlikely to keep him out past the international break, so his World Cup place isn’t in doubt. However, if someone shows they can be adequate back-up in that position, it will be very valuable for Poland at the tournament.
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