Jan Urban names 26-man Poland squad for four September Nations League matches

Squad selection and match schedule

Poland head coach Jan Urban named a 26-man roster on Friday morning ahead of four UEFA Nations League fixtures scheduled across eleven days. The national team convenes in Warsaw on Monday before opening their campaign on 25 September 2026 at home against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The squad subsequently travels to face Sweden on 28 September 2026, hosts Romania on 2 October 2026, and concludes the window away against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 5 October 2026. The selection combines established figures with new options, including debut call-ups for Lech Poznań defender Wojciech Mońka and Kasimpasa forward Adrian Benedyczak, alongside the first national team summons for a player from Wieczysta Kraków in goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski.

Managing Lewandowski and attacking rotation

Captain Robert Lewandowski, who plays for Chicago Fire at age 38, confirmed his availability for the entire camp, though Urban stated that workload management is essential given the compressed fixture list. The manager explained that the national team must gradually construct options for an attack without Lewandowski ahead of future tournaments. Former Poland international Roman Kosecki stated that the veteran forward remains indispensable, arguing that no current domestic alternative matches half his quality. Urban intends to rotate his attacking options across the four games, providing opportunities to Magdeburg forward Mateusz Żukowski and Benedyczak alongside Widzew Łódź attacker Karol Świderski.

“It is necessary to prepare for a Polish national team without Lewandowski.”

Exclusions and domestic league scrutiny

The squad selection prompted debate regarding players omitted from the domestic league, particularly Motor Lublin forward Karol Czubak. Czubak scored regularly across the current and previous Ekstraklasa campaigns, but Urban remarked during the announcement that domestic league scoring form must be evaluated with caution. Television commentator Wojciech Kowalczyk questioned the decision, arguing that Czubak is performing at twice the level of Świderski. Former Polish Football Association president Zbigniew Boniek noted that Czubak's absence would generate the most scrutiny, while stressing that final evaluations can only occur once players perform on the pitch. Urban also omitted Lech Poznań defender Michał Gurgul, stating that the 20-year-old was not yet ready for senior international duties.

“We will observe this team, to see whether the side will grow. We will also observe the new players, to see whether they get a chance at all, because being called up is one thing, and stepping onto the pitch is another. We learn the value of a player only on the turf.”

Midfield returns and goalkeeper changes

In midfield, 22-year-old Kacper Urbański returned to the senior squad following improved form at Górnik Zabrze, where he recorded three goals and two assists in eight league matches. Urban admitted during the press conference that the call-up came earlier than expected after Urbański endured difficult loan spells at Bologna, Monza, and Legia Warsaw. Meanwhile, 19-year-old midfielder Marcel Reguła missed out on a senior call-up despite registering seven goals and five assists last season, moving instead to the under-21 squad for European Championship qualifiers against Sweden and Italy. Goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski was left out due to fitness concerns and sporting choices, leaving Marcin Bułka of Neom SC and Juventus goalkeeper Kamil Grabara to compete with Kochalski for the starting spot.