judgement day for Polls

After two years of preparation for playing host to Europe's elite, Poland are faced with a win or bust situation as they take on the Czech Republic in Wroclaw on Saturday.

 With the entire nation behind them, the team will take to the pitch in the knowledge that a draw will not be enough to see them reach the quarter-finals.

  The Polish Coach Franciszek Smuda has already confirmed that Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will resume his duties between the posts, having missed the side's encounter with Russia through suspension, whilst there remains a selection dilemma over whether or not to include petulant playmaker Ludovic Obraniak, with Adrian Mierzejewski waiting in the wings to deputise.

 Other than those two possible changes, it is almost certain that Poland will stick with the side that helped them to a 1-1 draw with Russia. Captain and goalscorer Jakub Blaszczykowski will lead the side out, whilst Dortmund team-mate Robert Lewandowski the spearhead in attack.

 In defence, Marcin Wasilewski and Damien Perquis are set to renew their partnership, with the third member of the Dortmund trio, Lucasz Piszczek, joining Sebastian Boenisch in the full back department.

 For Czech Republic, Tomas Rosicky is a major injury doubt for the group decider after aggravating an Achilles injury against Greece.

 Should the Arsenal star miss out, Viktoria Plzen's Daniel Kolar will fill in at the fulcrum of the midfield.

 The side's other injury doubt, goalkeeper Petr Cech, should be fit to take on Poland after recovering well from a shoulder problem.

 Elsewhere the Czech side looks set to be unchanged, with under-pressure striker Milan Baros leading the attack, supported by goalscoring forwards Vaclav Pilar and Petr Jiracek.

 Tomas Hubschman and Jiroslav Plasil will pair up at the base of the midfield, with full-backs Theodor Gebre Selassie and David Limbersky supplying width from deep.

Michal Kadlec will partner Tomas Sivok at centre-back. A win will see Czech Republic progress to the next stage, while a draw will see Michal Bilak's side nervously eyeing the result of the Greece-Russia encounter in Warsaw.

 Czech Republic player to watch: David Limbersky. Whilst right-back Theodor Gebre Selassie drew all the plaudits for his buccaneering runs in Czech Republic's win over Greece, Limbersky showed the side possess great quality on both sides of the defence.

 Quick and strong in the tackle, the Viktoria Plzen full-back also has a wonderful left-foot, capable of both delivering dangerous balls for those in the area and testing the goalkeeper from range.

 Poland player to watch: Marcin Wasilewski.

 Wasilewski was outstanding during the Poles' draw with Russia on Tuesday and will be expected to lead a strong defensive effort once more against the Czech Republic.

 Not blessed with pace, Wasilewski is an intelligent defender and alongside Perquis had guided Poland to 512 minutes without conceding before Dimitris Salpingidis scored in the tournament opener.

 Key battle: Tomas Hubschman v Ludovic Obraniak. If Poland are to win the game and progress to the quarter-final, they will need the talented, but temperamental Obraniak to ensure that Lewandowski is fed the ammunition he needs to fire.

 Should Obraniak miss out, following his antics when substituted against Russia, the same will be true of Trabzonspor's Mierzejewski.

 The responsibility will thus fall upon Czech Republic holding midfielder Hubschman to ensure that they are not given that opportunity. On his day, Hubschman is excellent at the role and could be crucial to Czech Republic's chances of progression.

Posted in: Czech Republic,European cup,football,latest sport news,Poland