Lechia Gdansk began their Polish Cup campaign with an away match against MKS Kluczbork, while intense work continues in the background to shape the squad for the autumn. As reported by Trojmiasto.pl, by the time of this match, as many as eight new Lechia players had already debuted, with more, Axel Holewinski and Vladislav Blanuta, waiting for their chance. The club, currently 13th in I Liga with 7 points from 7 games, needs stability after a tough start to the season, having scored 8 and conceded 13 goals.
Who has already debuted for Lechia Gdansk?
The summer transfer window brought a significant refresh to Lechia's squad. Jakub Adkonis, formerly of Pogon Grodzisk Mazowiecki, debuted first in the second round. The third round saw the first appearances of Samuel Kopasek (ex FK Pardubice) and Daniło Małow (ex Olimpija Ljubljana). Artur Szach (Karpaty Lwów) played his first match in the fourth round. The fifth round brought debuts for Daniło Beskorowajnyj (Polissia Zhytomyr) and Kevin Dodaj (CSKA Sofia). In the sixth round, they were joined by Kacper Łopata (Walsall FC) and Hristo Ivanov (FC Vizela), becoming the seventh and eighth new signing to taste action in I Liga.
When will Holewinski and Blanuta get their chance?
Two further reinforcements are still awaiting their first match. Striker Axel Holewinski, signed from Pogon Szczecin, and defender Vladislav Blanuta, who arrived from Dynamo Kyiv, are ready to play. Coach Władysław Łupaszko emphasizes that the final lineup for the cup match will be a resultant of the coach's plans regarding distributing the appropriate number of minutes to individual players depending on their training level and the team's health condition. Decisions will depend on form and physical readiness.
What is the situation with player departures?
The club must also deal with the situation of several players who do not feature in the plans. Iwan Żelizko, Bogdan Wiunnyk, and Rifet Kapici are still on Lechia's payroll, but their playing time is very limited, Wiunnyk has played zero minutes, Kapici only one half, and Żelizko full time in two matches. Further transfers to Lechia depend on whether and when these players can be moved on. Transfer matters are personally handled by president Paolo Urfer, who achieved a great success with the sale of Tomas Bobcek to Frosinone Calcio. Increased agent activity is expected to resolve these situations before the closing of transfer windows in various leagues, which happen gradually from September 1 to 21.
What is the role of Meny and the juniors?
The team's stabilizer is the current captain, Camilo Meny. He returned from Colombia, has played from the second match, and has worn the captain's armband since the third round. For him, too, two scenarios remain, staying or leaving, but the likelihood of a departure diminishes with each passing day due to closing windows. The club does not, however, plan to loan out junior team players, focusing on their development in-house. An example is Martin Szczerbiński, who played in the starting eleven in the first two matches and even debuted for the Poland U16 national team, playing 73 minutes in a friendly against Lithuania.
What is known about the Polish Cup opponent?
Lechia's opponent, MKS Kluczbork, qualified for the Polish Cup by winning the Opole voivodeship competition. In the third group of the III liga, they are 9th after three matches with a 5:7 goal difference. This season they have already lost to Zagłębie Lubin reserves 1:3, to Górnik Polkowice 1:2, and to Stal Brzeg 0:1. The cup match required a winner on the day, a draw after 90 minutes would lead to extra time and then penalties. Lechia Gdansk's next test will be an away league match against Puszcza Niepołomice, scheduled for October 24, 2026. The team's current status and league position can be followed on our standings page, and the full schedule is available in the fixtures section.
