Poland's Urban targets Lewandowski return as World Cup qualifiers loom

Poland's new manager Jan Urban said his immediate priority was persuading striker Robert Lewandowski to return to the national team.

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

Poland sit third in their World Cup qualifying group behind Finland and the Netherlands and the Barcelona forward is widely seen as vital to their hopes of reaching next year's tournament.

"I'll do everything... so that Robert comes back, because we know what situation Polish football is in," Urban told reporters on Thursday.

Lewandowski, 36, is Poland’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 158 appearances.

"As of today, we can't afford not to have Robert in this team," the new manager added.

Urban acknowledged the challenges faced by Poland, following a 2-1 loss to Finland in June and amid uncertainty surrounding Lewandowski's role.

"Above all, we’re talking about this difficult moment not because of the defeat to Finland. We have several problems to solve, including the matter of Robert Lewandowski’s resignation," Urban said.

"All of this needs to be properly sorted out to build a good atmosphere for this team to function.

"We're aiming for a situation where every player wants to come to the national team and feels good being part of it."

Poland's next World Cup qualifier is against the Netherlands away on September 4 before they host Finland three days later.