Lech hit by visa issues before Europa League tie

Lech Poznań are dealing with an unexpected setback ahead of their Europa League play-off against FC Thun, with Terry Yegbe and Yannick Agnero at risk of missing the first leg because of visa problems rather than injury.

Lech facing late disruption

The Polish champions moved into the fourth and final qualifying round after a commanding win over KI Klaksvik on the Faroe Islands. That result set up a decisive tie with Swiss side FC Thun for a place in the league phase of the Europa League.

But preparations for the home match have been complicated by the absence of two first-team players. Centre-back Yegbe and forward Agnero were also unavailable for the trip to the Faroe Islands, with both forced to travel to Africa to deal with expiring visa documents.

Why Yegbe and Agnero are stuck

According to the source cited in Poland, the pair travelled on 10 August to countries where Polish consulates are available. Yegbe went to Nigeria and Agnero to Senegal because there are no Polish consulates in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the countries they come from.

The issue is linked to the expiry of the visas that allow them to live and work in Poland and move within the Schengen area. What was meant to be an administrative trip has turned into a major delay, with both procedures taking much longer than expected.

The report said the players had their passports taken, were confined to hotels and had not been given clear information about when the process would be completed.

The same report suggested they were most likely to receive their documents and new visas on 18 August, although that was not described as certain. Even in that scenario, their earliest possible return to Poznań would be on the day of the first match against FC Thun, making involvement highly unlikely.

A problem for Niels Frederiksen

The timing is especially awkward for Lech and head coach Niels Frederiksen. Yegbe has been a regular starter at centre-back since the beginning of the season, so his absence would remove an established option from the heart of defence.

Agnero's potential unavailability also matters in the context of other concerns in attack. Mikael Ishak went off with a minor injury late in the first half against Klaksvik, which increases the importance of every available forward option.

Lech are already managing several injury absences elsewhere in the squad, with Filip Jagiełło, Leo Bengtsson, Ali Gholizadeh and Joao Moutinho all ruled out.

Bad timing before a defining tie

For Lech, the trip to Africa was unavoidable because of the players' visa status. Even so, the disruption has come at the worst possible moment, just as the club prepare for one of their most important European fixtures of the campaign.

Whether Yegbe and Agnero can return in time remains uncertain, but the situation has already left Lech facing a significant selection headache before the opening meeting with FC Thun.