Maciej Rybus: Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz to not pick defender for 2022 World Cup in Qatar - BBC Sport

Maciej Rybus: Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz to not pick defender for 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Maciej Rybus
Maciej Rybus made his Poland debut against Romania in November 2009

Poland left-back Maciej Rybus has been told he will not play for his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after he joined Russian club Spartak Moscow.

Rybus, 32, has made 66 appearances for Poland and moved to Spartak Moscow on a free transfer on 11 June.

Poland refused to play Russia in their scheduled World Cup play-off semi-final in March because of the invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.

The country has taken in more than 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees since then.

A statement from the Polish FA said: "The coach of the Polish national team, Czeslaw Michniewicz, talked to Maciej Rybus, who was currently staying in Poland, after the training camp of the national team ended last week.

"The coach informed the player that, due to his current club situation, he would not be called up for the September training camp of the national team and would not be taken into account for the team that would go to the World Cup in Qatar."

Rybus, who previously played for Lokomotiv Moscow between 2017 and 2022, will now not play at the World Cup, which begins on 21 November. Poland are in Group C, along with Argentina, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

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