City winger returns to Poland U21 squad for crucial qualification match

Norwich City winger Przemek Placheta has been named in the Poland Under-21 squad ahead of their crucial final group game in qualification for next year’s European U21 Championship.

The 22-year-old has eight caps at U21 level but missed both qualifiers in the last international break with a hamstring strain, with the young Poles losing 1-0 in Serbia and being held to a 1-1 home draw by Bulgaria.

That has allowed Russia to seal qualification as winners of Group Five with Poland two points ahead of the Bulgarians in second place ahead of their final game, at home against bottom side Latvia in Lodz on Tuesday, November 17 (4.30pm UK time).

Victory will guarantee a play-off spot ahead of the finals in Hungary and Slovenia next year, with the group stages of the rearranged tournament being held in March and the knockout stages in May and June.

Placheta has scored one goal in six Championship games since joining the Canaries from Slask Wroclaw in a deal reportedly worth around £2million this summer, a late equaliser to earn a 2-2 home draw with Preston last month.

He has started just one of those games though, with the speedy attacker brought on at half-time of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Brentford.