#INJURY

Legia won 1-0 with Albanian FK Kukësi in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. The only goal was struck at the beginning of the second half by Michał Kucharczyk. Bartosz Bereszyński passed the ball to Ondrej Duda, who ran into the penalty area and put the football back to Kucharczyk, who eventually defeated Albanian goalkeeper with a low shot.

During a friendly game against FC Viktoria Plzeň that took place on Saturday Legia’s player Ondrej Duda was fouled by David Limbersky. He suffered an injury and everyone thought that he had broken his foot.

On Saturday afternoon Warsaw club played a friendly game against Czech FC Viktoria Plzeň. That match was also the first friendly during Legia’s preparatory camp in Turkish Belek. The first goal was scored in the 21st minute by Michał Kucharczyk, who received a great pass from the left side of the pitch and defeated Petr Bolek with a strong kick.

Legia Warsaw defeated 3-1 Cracovia in Cracow on Saturday evening. The match didn’t start well for the team from the capital of Poland because in the fourth minute they lost their first (as it turned out later the only) goal. Cracovia’s Dawid Nowak took advantage of a through ball and defeated Dušan Kuciak.

In the 1/16 Polish Cup final Legia smoothly defeated 4-0 Okocimski KS in Brzesko. The first goal was scored by debuting in Legia’s senior squad Michał Kopczyński just before the break. Unfortunately, the footballer suffered an injury during the game.

Legia’s Czech attacker Michal Hubnik suffered a very serious injury. He tore his Achilles tendon and won’t be able to appear on the pitch this year anymore. Hubnik was on the field for only fifty-three minutes this season. He has recently trained individually and should have been ready to play within the next few days. Unfortunately, he suffered this injury during Thursday training and needs to recover for a few months.

In a friendly game against Pilica Białobrzegi which took place on the side pitch yesterday Legia’s footballers managed to score five goals. Warsaw club’s coaching staff decided to make use of this game to take a closer look at players who don’t have the opportunity to appear regularly in the starting lineup. Legia’s footballers were undeniably better than players from Polish Fourth Division and won 5-0. Two goals were scored by Michał Żyro. Single goals were struck by: Moshe Ohayon, Danijel Ljuboja and Janusz Gol.

In the last away game of the season 2010/2011 Legia’s players managed to smash 5-2 Arka’s footballers. The host team had to finish the game with only eight people on the pitch! One of them was punished with a red card by the referee. The other two footballers suffered injuries but due to the fact that Arka’s coach had made three substitutions earlier, he couldn’t replace those injured players. Michał Kucharczyk struck two goals and Manu, Radović and Borysiuk scored single goals. Arka’s Szmatiuk scored two goals for his club within only two minutes.

Almost all Legia’s first team players participated in this year’s first training on Tuesday. Even Srda Kneżević was present. “Warsaw club’s physician Stanisław Machowski ensures us that Kneżević can normally train since the first training. When it comes to Chinyama we will closely watch how his knee reacts to loads. It’s definitely much better than it used to be. We are hoping for the best and we’ll see how the situation develops” – said Rafał Janas. He added that Dickson Choto’s situation is much worse.

At the beginning of Sunday’s game against Odra Wodzisław Legia’s defender, Wojciech Szala, suffered an injury. During the after-match conference Warsaw team’s coach, Jan Urban, admitted that probably the player had slightly torn his biceps femoris. The diagnosis was confirmed by Legia’s doctor, Stanisław Machowski. This means that Szala has to pause for at least two weeks.

According to "Przegląd Sportowy", Inaki Astiz should be ready to play in the game against Odra Wodzisław Śląski on Sunday. The Spaniard didn't appear in the match against Cracovia Cracow due to an injury which he suffered before the beginning of the spring round. The match begins at 2.15 p.m.

Jakub Rzeźniczak is the next Legia's player who suffered an injury. Warsaw defender fouled one of GKS’s footballers near the sideline in the last minute of the first half and unfortunately due to this intervention he suffered an injury. After the final whistle he was carried off the field in a stretcher. After the break he was replaced by Pance Kumbev for whom this was the first game this season.

Jan Urban will be able to put neither Marcin Mięciel nor Piotr Giza, nor Wojciech Szala, nor Takesure Chinyama in the first lineup in the match against GKS Bełchatów. "Mięciel should be ready for the next game. Theoretically I could take the risk and let him play against the team from Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, but his injury could refresh" – said Legia's coach.

"Contracts of eight Legia's footballers expire in June 2010. This means that Legia's board members have only three months to decide about their future, because all those players will be able to sign contracts with other clubs since the 1st January" – we could read in "Przegląd Sportowy". Toulouse Football Club and Girondins Bordeaux were interested in Jan Mucha in the summer break, but Warsaw team wanted 2 million euro for its player. Recently, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos Piraeus were interested in Legia's goalkeeper, but the board decided to withhold until the winter break.

Sebastian Szałachowski has problems with his thigh biceps since Tuesday. "He didn't take part in the main training. He was only running, stretching himself and trying not to overstrain his leg. The seriousness of his injury should have been revealed after ultrasonography. Nevertheless, everyone in the club thinks that it's rather not very serious. I don't think that this is a strain – it's rather stretching of a muscle" – said Jacek Magiera.

Sebastian Szałachowski hasn't persist to the end of yesterday's training. He has fallen down on the pitch and he stretched biceps femoris muscle. "It isn't serious injury" - sam Szałachowski. We still don't know if he could play on Saturday against Śląsk Wrocław. Other Legia's striker, Marcin Mięciel trains normally for a couple of days. Last week Mięciel was injured and trained individually.

“I hope that I’ll play at least 45 minutes in mid-September. At first, probably in a match of the Młoda Ekstraklasa” – said Tomasz Jarzębowski in an interview for “Przegląd Sportowy”. Legia’s midfielder suffered an injury in the game against Wisła in Cracow in May. He had to have a rehabilitation after his knee injury for the last few months. He mostly trained in a gym. He started however full-load trainings more than one week ago.

Legia's coach, Jan Urban, was able to make use of his two players – Dickson Choto and Takesure Chinyama – during the match against Polonia Bytom on Friday. So far as Choto was on the pitch for 90 minutes, in so far as Chinyama didn’t fully recover. "Chini" appeared symbolically in the game (for the first time this season) and was on the field only for one minute. It means that he had to pause for 88 days due to his injury.

Marcin Mięciel has been injured. Nobody knows if he could play against Polonia Bytom on Friday. Maciej Iwański also has problems with his leg. Iwański had to leave the pitch in Wodzisław in 68. minute. He needed the doctor's help. It is possible that against Polonia, in match squad will appear Dickson Choto and Takesure Chinyama.

Maciej Iwański suffered an injury in the match against Odra Wodzisław on Sunday. As yet, this is still unknown if he is able to play against Polonia Bytom on Friday. "He stretched his groin and I don't know if he can appear in the Friday match" – said Legia's coach, Jan Urban. Fortunately, Dickson Choto returns to the squad. The black defender was replaced by Artur Jędrzejczyk on Sunday.

Maciej Iwański wasn't able to stay on the pitch to the final whistle during the Sunday game against Odra Wodzisław. Legia's midfielder suffered an injury after one of clashes with the host team's player. However, he stayed on the pitch. He was replaced by Ariel Borysiuk in the 68th minute. "With every minute, the pain was more burdensome. I wasn't able to play to the bitter end. I don't know if the injury is serious, that's why I can't be sure if I am ready for the game against Polonia Bytom" – said Iwański after the match.

Legia’s coach ensures that Piotr Giza will be ready to play in the Saturday match against Cracovia Cracow. “Giza normally trains with other members of the team and will be able to appear in the nearest game. I only hope now that he’s not going to come to me to tell me that something hurts him” – said Jan Urban.

Legia's injured players resume the trainings. Dickson Choto, Piotr Giza and Takesure Chinyama participated in the training on Tuesday. However, they didn't do full-load exercises yet. Bartłomiej Grzelak also recovers. Since month he mostly runs a lot in the trainings. Together with Giza he performed some exercises along with other members of the team on Wednesday.

Tomasz Jarzębowski is having in Szczecin his rehabilitation finished after his sacral ligament’s reconstruction and he comes back to Warsaw on Friday. “I would like to resume trainings with Legia on Monday. Everything goes according to plan. I only want to go to Łódź where I had the operation to conduct the magnetic resonance to be sure if everything’s fine” – said Legia’s player in an interview for “Przegląd Sportowy”.

Piotr Giza didn't go to Gdynia for the game against Arka on Sunday. This happened due to his knee injury. "He didn't suffer the injury as a result of a clash. He simply stretched his collateral ligament. Fortunately, this is not a serious injury. I want to think optimistically. There are a few days left to the match and I hope he'll be at my disposal. This is a very ambitious guy. He did want to go to Gdynia, but we decided not to risk. That's why he stayed in Warsaw" – said Legia's coach, Jan Urban.

'Kamil Majkowski was loaned from Legia to Znicz Pruszków two weeks ago. However, the player didn't appear on the pitch during Znicz's first league game against Wisła Płock. "Kamil came to our team with ankle joint's injury which he suffered during Legia's preparatory camp in Austria. Fortunately, he resumed the trainings about a week ago and he'll be surely taken into consideration for the Friday match against GKS Katowice. We only have to prepare him with regard to the exertion issues" – said Krzysztof Chrobak, Znicz's coach.

It's hard to say when Takesure Chinyama is going to resume the trainings. The most efficient player of the last season was in Zimbabwe with his new-born daughter. However, he returned to Warsaw. As yet, physiotherapists and masseurs are trying to cure "Tejksiur". "Chinyama is having his knee strengthened which was operated a month ago. I'm not quite sure when he is going to be back on the pitch" - said Jan Urban.

Legia will have to cope without Dickson Choto in both matches against Broendby Copenhagen (third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League). Warsaw defender got injured during the return match against Olimpi in Rustawi. "He has some problems with muscles, however the injury isn't very serious. As far as I know, the muscle hasn't been torn. There are only some muscle fibres damaged" - said Legia's coach, Jan Urban.

In the 80th minute of the game against Olimpi Rustawi (UEFA Europa League), Dickson Choto had to leave the pitch due to an injury. "Choto has problems with his quadriceps muscle of thigh. We'll see in Warsaw if the injury is very serious or not" – said after the match Legia's coach, Jan Urban. Problems with thigh muscles caused that Dickson Choto wasn't able to appear in four league games in the spring round of the last season. Nevertheless, it's hard to say how long he will be absent now.

This is still unknown when Takesure Chinyama returns on the pitch. The attacker is in Zimbabwe with his new-born daughter at the moment. He should come back to Warsaw next week. He resumes full-load trainings within several days. On 23rd June Legia’s player had a knee arthroscopy. According to "Gazeta Wyborcza", "Chini" should be ready to play in mid-August at the earliest.