Poland face Euro 2024 exit as Lewandowski injury blow worsens

Poland are on the brink of a Euro 2024 group-stage exit after Robert Lewandowski was ruled out of their crunch clash with Austria on Thursday.

The Barcelona forward missed Poland's opening 1-0 defeat to Slovakia on Monday due to a thigh injury, and his absence was keenly felt as Czeslaw Michniewicz's side struggled to create clear-cut chances.

Now, with France set to face the Netherlands in the other Group C match at 20:00 BST on Thursday, Poland know that defeat to Austria will end their hopes of reaching the knockout stages. France's victory over Hungary on Saturday put them top of the group on three points, with Austria second on three points following their 3-1 win over North Macedonia.

Poland are bottom of the group with no points, and even a draw against Austria will not be enough to keep their hopes alive if France beat the Netherlands. Michniewicz will be desperate for Lewandowski to return to fitness in time for the final group game against the Dutch on Monday, but the 34-year-old's participation remains in doubt.

Lewandowski is Poland's all-time leading goalscorer with 76 goals in 138 appearances, and his absence would be a major blow to their chances of progressing in the tournament. Poland have a poor recent record against Austria, having lost three of their last four meetings. Their only victory in that time came in a friendly in November 2020.

Austria will be confident of beating Poland on Thursday and securing their place in the knockout stages. They have a strong team, led by Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, and they will be looking to exploit Poland's defensive weaknesses.

Poland will need to produce a much-improved performance if they are to avoid an early exit from Euro 2024. They will need to be more creative in attack and more solid in defence. If they can do that, they may yet have a chance of reaching the knockout stages.