Jan Urban explains Poland squad calls and Czubak omission

Jan Urban has outlined the thinking behind his latest Poland squad, with the national team coach addressing several contentious selection calls ahead of the next Nations League camp.

Poland’s gathering begins on 21 September and includes four Nations League matches: two against Bosnia and Herzegovina, plus one each against Sweden and Romania. Urban’s selection features two debutants, Wojciech Mońka of Lech Poznań and Wiktor Nowak of Slavia Prague, while the absence of Motor Lublin forward Karol Czubak has already become one of the main talking points.

Urban’s view on Karol Czubak

Czubak has been one of the standout names in the Ekstraklasa, scoring six goals this season, but Urban made clear during a live appearance on PZPN+ that he does not currently see the striker as ready for the demands of international football.

The Poland coach argued that the level required in the national team is significantly higher than in the domestic league. In his assessment, Czubak still has ground to make up before becoming a realistic option again, even if Urban acknowledged the player had earned his earlier debut through his performances.

Urban’s comments suggested he views Czubak as a penalty-box specialist whose strengths, particularly in aerial play, are effective in the Ekstraklasa but may not translate as well at international level. He also referenced the striker’s previous difficulties in Belgium, underlining why he has opted to look elsewhere for now.

Why Benedyczak and Świderski were preferred

Urban also responded to questions over the inclusion of Adrian Benedyczak and Karol Świderski instead of Czubak. His explanation was rooted in form, experience and trust.

He pointed to Benedyczak’s goalscoring output and stressed that finding the net in Turkey is not straightforward. As for Świderski, Urban admitted the forward may not be fully satisfied with his numbers, but emphasised his commitment and reliability in national-team colours.

That appears to be a recurring theme in Urban’s early tenure: club form matters, but so does a player’s ability to deliver within the specific demands of international football.

Lewandowski management and room for rotation

Urban also indicated that Robert Lewandowski’s workload will be managed carefully across the four-match window. Rather than setting a fixed plan in advance, he said decisions will depend on how the striker feels during the camp.

That flexible approach reflects the unusual shape of the schedule. With four matches to navigate, Urban suggested Poland may need to rotate more than usual, and that could influence both team selection and individual minutes from game to game.

The same logic helps explain some of his other squad choices. Urban admitted that if there had only been two matches, Kacper Urbański might not have been included. The expanded schedule, however, has pushed the staff to build greater depth into the group.

Debutants, youth links and a closer look at form

The call-ups for Mońka and Nowak are among the most notable features of the squad. Urban spoke positively about Nowak in particular, praising the way he has handled the intensity of Champions League football with Slavia Prague and highlighting his ability to move inside from a wide midfield role. He also described the midfielder’s eye for goal as a welcome surprise and said his current form should be used.

Urban also touched on Nicola Zalewski, noting that the player’s role at Atalanta has changed from starter to substitute, despite what he sees as outstanding potential.

On the relationship with the Under-21s, Urban said first-team priorities are clear and that the senior side has precedence. He added that some players not selected for the senior squad could still join the U-21s, led by Jerzy Brzęczek, and said he sees no issue with that arrangement.

• Poland’s next camp starts on 21 September
• The squad includes debutants Wojciech Mońka and Wiktor Nowak
• Poland will play Bosnia and Herzegovina twice, plus Sweden and Romania
• Łukasz Poręba of Elversberg was confirmed to have been in the wider squad

For now, Urban’s message is clear: reputation in the Ekstraklasa alone is not enough, and every call-up must fit the specific demands of the national team.