Polish midfield star Jakub Błaszczykowski is out of the Euro 2008 finals after aggravating the hamstring injury picked up playing for BV Borussia Dortmund last month, during training on Thursday (5^th June).

A subsequent medical examination proved that it would have been impossible for him to make it back in time for the group matches so a decision had to be made and a subsequent request to UEFA for the approval of the replacement of Błaszczykowski with Lukasz Piszczek, who plays for Hertha Berlin, was made.

Poland coach Leo Beenhakker also had to leave out Grzegorz Bronowicki, who plays in the left-back position, from his interim squad a couple of weeks ago due to a knee injury he picked up, so will now have to play a makeshift defence in Poland’s first game against Germany on Sunday evening. Poland will also face the Austrians on June 12^th in Vienna and the Croatians four days later in Klagenfurt.

As far as UEFA’s regulations go in relation to the European Football Championship, they say that in the event of a player being seriously injured before their team's initial match in the finals, a replacement may be called upon only if the team doctor concerned and a UEFA Medical Committee doctor both validate that the injury is adequately serious to stop the player in question from taking part.