Wojciech Szczesny believes that star striker Robert Lewandowski will be a "very important" player for Poland at the 2022 World Cup and has labelled the Barcelona man as one of the best players in the world.
Lewandowski, 34, is Poland's leading appearance maker with 134 international caps and also their all-time leading scorer with 74 strikes to his name.
Six of those goals came in seven World Cup qualifiers, including a crucial strike in the 2-0 UEFA playoff victory against Sweden earlier this year.
Lewandowski heads to Qatar in fine form after scoring 18 goals in 19 appearances for new club Barcelona this season following his summer switch from Bayern Munich.
Ahead of their opening Group C clash against Mexico on Tuesday, Juventus goalkeeper Szczesny has talked up teammate Lewandowski and has compared him to Argentina's star man Lionel Messi, who the Poles will come up against later in the group stage.
© Reuters
"Robert Lewandowski is very important. Argentina has its star (Lionel Messi), we have ours. We will do everything to make it shine as much as possible," Szczesny said at a press conference on Monday.
"None of us have any doubts that Robert Lewandowski is now, if not the best, then one of the best players in the world. And he would certainly like to fulfil his ambitions at the national level as well."
Szczesny and Lewandowski are two of seven players in Poland's World Cup squad aged 30 and over and the former believes that the experience within the team is benefitting their preparations for a major tournament.
"Experience plays a very important role in football, because it helps to prepare mentally for matches in order to be able to cope with expectations. Even a negative experience like the one in 2018 helps," Szczesny added.
"There are several players who were at the World Cup in Russia. I believe that we all have the motivation and ambition to erase a bit of this stain from the previous World Cup."
© Reuters
Manager Czeslaw Michniewicz has expressed his confidence ahead of the tournament and believes that his squad are well prepared for their opener against Mexico.
"I am positive about the arrival of players from clubs, even those who have not played are in good physical condition. Each competitor is optimally prepared," Michniewicz told reporters.
"When it comes to the Mexico team, we have thoroughly analysed it. They have a lot of great players, experienced players.
"Our strength is a mix of routine and experience and we want to show it on the pitch. We are convinced about the formation, about the lineup we will play tomorrow, I think that tonight the players will also find out.
"I believe in the team, I believe in my staff, I believe in people who work with the national team on a daily basis and this gives me such inner confidence and peace."
Poland, who were eliminated in the group stage at the 2018 World Cup, won 3-1 in their only previous meeting against Mexico in the group phase of the 1978 tournament.
Oliver Thomas
Netherlands
Senegal
Ecuador
Qatar
England
USA
Iran
Wales
Argentina
Poland
Mexico
Saudi Arabia
France
Australia
Tunisia
Denmark
Japan
Spain
Germany
Costa Rica
Morocco
Croatia
Belgium
Canada
Brazil
Switzerland
Cameroon
Serbia
Portugal
South Korea
Uruguay
Ghana
