Coach of Poland Urban Chasing Return from Lewandowski while the World Cup qualifiers are looming

Poland’s new manager Jan Urban said his immediate priority had persuaded striker Robert Lewandowski to return to the national team.

Urban was appointed Wednesday to replace Michal Probierz, who resigned in June following a row on his decision to replace Lewandowski as a captain.

Poland is third in their World Cup qualifying group behind Finland and the Netherlands, and the Barcelona striker is largely considered vital for his hopes to reach the tournament next year.

“I will do everything … so that Robert comes back, because we know in what situation is Polish football,” Urban told journalists on Thursday.

Lewandowski, 36, is the top scorer in Poland with 85 goals in 158 appearances.

“To date, we cannot afford not to have Robert in this team,” added the new manager.

Urban recognized the challenges encountered by Poland, following a 2-1 defeat against Finland in June and in the midst of uncertainty surrounding the role of Lewandowski.

“Above all, we are talking about this difficult moment not because of the defeat against Finland. We have several problems to solve, including the question of the resignation of Robert Lewandowski,” said Urban.

“All of this must be correctly set to build a good atmosphere so that this team works.

“We aim for a situation where each player wants to come to the national team and we feel well being part of it.”

The next qualification of the World Cup in Poland is against the Netherlands on September 4 before welcoming Finland three days later.