Vlasdyslav Lupashko Ahead of Stal Rzeszów vs Lechia Gdańsk

The White-and-Greens are preparing to return to league action. On Monday, 13 October, Lechia Gdańsk will face Stal Rzeszów away from home.

Following the international break and a training camp in Wola Chorzelowska, the White-and-Greens are fully focused on their return to league competition:

Every team has its strengths, and our opponents are no exception. We are considering how best to neutralise them. There is healthy competition within the squad at the moment, and we are assessing which players deserve a place in the starting eleven.

We picked up a few injuries during the week and at the training camp, but our medical staff are already dealing with them. Overall, our players are in good shape and well prepared physically.

Lechia head into their next fixture following an impressive 7:1 victory over Stal Mielec. However, the head coach emphasised that even such a convincing win does not change his approach to working with the team.

I imagine this might be unusual for some players, but I don’t really celebrate victories. Immediately after a match, I try to identify the areas where we fell short of our expected standards. I believe this helps the players maintain their concentration. For me, the most important match is always the next one, so I see my main responsibility as ensuring that the team remains focused.

The Lechia head coach also discussed Stal Rzeszów’s performances and the form of their upcoming opponents.

I’m not surprised. I think the teams that struggled against them away from home were those who felt they had to win at all costs, treating Stal as an opportunity to pick up three easy points. Everyone saw them as a weak opponent against whom they should comfortably collect three points, and those who underestimated them paid a heavy price.

That is why we have great respect for this team. We know their strengths and weaknesses, and we are approaching this match with full responsibility.

Another topic discussed during the press conference was the situation of Narek Hovhannisyan. The player is ready to feature, although the Club is still working to complete the formalities related to his registration.

He is ready to play, both physically and mentally, but the registration process has not yet been finalised. The Club is working on it. We see him as a left winger. He can also play on the right, but the left is his natural position. He has the necessary qualities.

He has played four matches for his national team. His role there is slightly different from what we expect of him here, so we will work on integrating him into our playing system.

The press conference also included a question about Indrit Mavraj, who is returning to training and competitive action following an injury lay-off.

He is very happy. He experienced some further difficulties during the training camp. I reassured him, and we gave him a short break. He managed to get through it.

He is experiencing strong emotions at the moment and is delighted to be back, although he still needs time to regain full match fitness.