The Polish national football team finished second in its qualifying group behind the Netherlands, failing to secure direct qualification for the World Cup in North America. They must now attempt to qualify via the two-stage playoffs.
Poland will host Albania in a playoff semifinal on March 26. If they win, they will face either Ukraine or Sweden in the playoff final on March 31 for a place at the global tournament.
The squad unveiled by Urban on Friday includes Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, the team captain and Poland's all-time caps leader, along with regulars such as Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński and Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash.
New call-ups include 17-year-old Oskar Pietuszewski of FC Porto, seen as a promising prospect in Polish football.
Goalkeepers Mateusz Kochalski and Bartosz Mrozek are also among the fresh faces; although both have been called up before, they are still awaiting their debuts.
First-choice goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski will miss the playoffs after sustaining a thigh injury last weekend.
Midfielder Jakub Moder of Feyenoord returns to the national side after a prolonged absence due to a back injury.
The match against Albania will be played at the National Stadium in Warsaw at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday. If Urban’s men win, they will face the winner of the Ukraine-Sweden matchup in the playoff final five days later.
The semifinal losers, meanwhile, will play a friendly match against each other on March 31.
Only two wins will secure qualification for the World Cup in North America.
The squad is set to assemble in the Polish capital on Monday for a training camp ahead of the two matches.
Midfielder Nicola Zalewski, suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, will miss the Albania game.
Poland are ranked 34th in the world by football's governing body FIFA, while Albania are No. 63. Ukraine are ranked 30th and Sweden 42nd.
In early December, Poland learned their potential group-stage opponents for the World Cup should they advance from the playoffs.
If Poland secure a berth, they will face Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan in the group stage, following a draw in Washington on December 5.
The World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, featuring 48 teams—16 more than in Qatar in 2022.
Poland reached the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup before being eliminated by eventual runners-up France.
Here is the full Poland squad for the World Cup qualifying playoffs:
Goalkeepers:
Bartłomiej Drągowski (Widzew Łódź)
Kamil Grabara (Wolfsburg)
Mateusz Kochalski (Qarabag)
Bartosz Mrozek (Lech Poznań)
Defenders:
Jan Bednarek (FC Porto)
Bartosz Bereszyński (Palermo)
Matty Cash (Aston Villa)
Tomasz Kędziora (PAOK Salonika)
Jakub Kiwior (FC Porto)
Arkadiusz Pyrka (St. Pauli)
Przemysław Wiśniewski (Widzew Łódź)
Jan Ziółkowski (AS Roma)
Midfielders:
Kamil Grosicki (Pogoń Szczecin)
Jakub Kamiński (FC Cologne)
Jakub Moder (Feyenoord Rotterdam)
Oskar Pietuszewski (FC Porto)
Filip Rózga (Sturm Graz)
Michał Skóraś (KAA Gent)
Bartosz Slisz (Broendby)
Sebastian Szymański (Rennes)
Nicola Zalewski (Atalanta Bergamo)
Piotr Zieliński (Inter Milan)
Forwards:
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Krzysztof Piątek (Al-Duhail)
Karol Świderski (Panathinaikos)
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, laczynaspilka.pl