Image via @LaczyNasPilka on Twitter
There were few major surprises in Michał Probierz’s Poland squad for the upcoming March internationals, although the biggest surprise grabbing the headlines is the inclusion of Taras Romanczuk for the first time almost six years.
As reported earlier in the week, he was not the only Jagiellonia Białystok player to be called-up, with young winger Dominik Marczuk also receiving the nod from Probierz ahead of more experienced options.
Returns after long enforced absences for Jakub Moder and Bartosz Salamon are sure to spark healthy debate, and I personally expect them to receive little playing time over the two games. There is no doubting both could help the team in the immediate future, but a lack of real match rhythm is a concern for me, particularly in the case of Moder.
Further up the pitch, a return to the squad for Krzysztof Piątek instead of Arkadiusz Milik is the right call from Probierz, given Milik’s lack of form and playing time when contrasted with Piątek. Piątek has quietly been playing well in Turkey, something which can also be said of Adam Buksa who has also been called up again by Probierz. I think the only concern with Piątek is he hasn’t really scored a “meaningful” goal for his country for about three years, but nonetheless you’d probably rather him be in the squad than any of the other strikers trying to claim one of the two “back-up” spots he and Buksa occupy.
I must say, circling back to the Jagiellonia duo of Romanczuk and Marczuk, they are relatively surprising inclusions when you consider the other options Probierz has right now in those positions. In Serie A, Karol Linetty and Szymon Żurkowski are playing really well and Michał Skóraś seems to finally be getting time on the pitch at Club Brugge. I actually thought we might see some of those players, Linetty and Żurkowski especially, regardless of Romanczuk (and Moder) being included in the squad. That being said, none of these players we’re talking about would be in Poland’s best team on paper right now, even if we hope Moder could be again in the future.
All-in-all, it’s a well balanced, perfectly adequate squad that should have enough to get past Estonia and hopefully whichever team would be in a potential second play-off.
It’s also worth giving a mention to Adam Majewski’s U-21 squad, given that there are a number of quality players with major experience of playing for the senior side present in that squad. Theoretically, were injuries to occur in the training camp prior to the internationals that the senior team are to play, there is quality cover available from the younger age bracket. Indeed, players such as Jakub Kałuziński and Kacper Kozłowski were candidates to make the senior squad, with Kałuziński being a particularly strong contender for that defensive midfield position which he is so ably playing for Antalyaspor.
Image via @LaczyNasPilka on Twitter
Poland play Estonia on the 21st March and then either Finland or Wales on the 26th March, and the U-21 side play Israel and Bulgaria on earlier on the same days.
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