With the Polish Cup semifinal victory over Górnik Zabrze, Legia Warszawa has secured a spot in the final against Pogoń Szczecin, but at a great cost. The team suffered injuries to key players, Marc Gual and Bartosz Kapustka, which may impact their chances in the upcoming Europa Conference League quarterfinal against Chelsea.
Despite the 2:1 win over Górnik Zabrze, Legia Warszawa is out of the running for the Polish Ekstraklasa title, trailing leaders Raków Częstochowa by 12 points. The Polish Cup is now their only hope for European competition next season.
In a press conference before the Chelsea match, coach Goncalo Feio confirmed that both Gual and Kapustka will miss the first leg of the quarterfinal. The earliest they are expected to return is for the league match against Jagiellonia Białystok on April 13.
„Kapustka and Gual? They didn’t train with us today. They have injuries, and we’re assessing their progress day by day. It’s difficult to say when they’ll be ready. We tried to get them fit for the Chelsea match, but it didn’t work out. We’ll do everything in our power to get them ready for Jagiellonia,” Feio said.
The absence of Gual, in particular, is a significant blow to Legia Warszawa’s chances. With Ilja Szkurin not registered for the Europa Conference League, coach Feio may have to rely on Tomas Pekhart as their sole nominal striker. „Pekhart is our only available 'number 9′ for this match, and he’s being considered for tomorrow’s game. Can someone else play? Yes, although the characteristics of that player would be different. Maybe it’ll be a variant with Tomas, or maybe with Tomas and someone else. The team is prepared,” Feio hinted.
Legia Warszawa will face Chelsea at the Stadion Wojska Polskiego on Thursday, April 10, at 18:45. Fans can follow the live text commentary on Sport.pl.
According to UEFA statistics, Legia Warszawa has a 14.29% chance of advancing to the semifinals, while Chelsea has a 57.14% chance. The odds may be against them, but Legia Warszawa is determined to put up a fight.
With over 20,000 fans expected to attend the match, the atmosphere is sure to be electric. Can Legia Warszawa overcome the injuries and pull off a historic upset? Only time will tell.
Injury Update:
* Marc Gual: doubtful for the Chelsea match
* Bartosz Kapustka: doubtful for the Chelsea match
* Ilja Szkurin: not registered for the Europa Conference League
Upcoming Fixtures:
* Legia Warszawa vs Chelsea (Europa Conference League quarterfinal, 1st leg) – April 10, 18:45
* Legia Warszawa vs Jagiellonia Białystok (Ekstraklasa) – April 13, 17:30
* Legia Warszawa vs Pogoń Szczecin (Polish Cup final) – date TBD
