Liam Duckstein
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Poland host Romania in the UEFA Nations League on Friday 2 October 2026, and the predicted lineups for this one are shaped as much by who is missing as by who is picked. With Poland’s attack thinned by an absence and Romania naming an otherwise near-full-strength group, the biggest selection question is how each coach fills the gap left behind rather than who starts across the back line.
Predicted Poland Line-up
Jan Urban’s side is projected to line up in a 3-4-2-1, which is his own preferred shape rather than anything forced by circumstance. The XI looks largely settled, with 9 of the projected XI starting their last match, suggesting Urban has a clear first-choice group even from a small sample. Marcin Bułka has started both of the two most recent matches used for this projection and looks a certain starter in goal, while Sebastian Szymański has the same record further forward and looks equally central to the plan. Beyond those two, several midfield slots are shared between players with just a single recent start, which is where most of the uncertainty in this expected XI sits.
Poland predicted XI: Marcin Bułka; Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior, Przemyslaw Wiśniewski; Matty Cash, Piotr Zieliński, Tymoteusz Puchacz, Wiktor Nowak, Bartosz Ślisz, Michał Skóraś; Sebastian Szymański
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 2 | Last 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Marcin Bułka | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 5 | Jan Bednarek | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 14 | Jakub Kiwior | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 3 | Przemyslaw Wiśniewski | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 2 | Matty Cash | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 10 | Piotr Zieliński | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| M | 15 | Tymoteusz Puchacz | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 16 | Wiktor Nowak | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 6 | Bartosz Ślisz | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 17 | Michał Skóraś | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| F | 20 | Sebastian Szymański | 2/2 | 2/2 |
Romania Predicted Lineup
Gheorghe Hagi’s Romania are expected to set up in a 4-3-3, again matching the coach’s own preferred formation. This is a settled side – 10 of the projected XI started their last match – which points to a fairly clear pecking order despite the limited sample size. Ionuț Andrei Radu and Andrei Coubiș both started each of the two matches used here, making them the two names in this projected line-up with the strongest recent claim to their positions. Most of the rest of the side carries a single recent start apiece, so the shape is more certain than any individual slot beyond those two.
Romania predicted XI: Ionuț Andrei Radu; Andrei Coubiș, Andrei Burcă, Matei Cristian Ilie, Lisav Naif Eissat; Darius Olaru, Nicolae Stanciu, Vladimir Screciu; Valentin Mihăilă, Daniel Birligea, Louis Munteanu
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 2 | Last 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Ionuț Andrei Radu | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 4 | Andrei Coubiș | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| D | 15 | Andrei Burcă | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| D | 21 | Matei Cristian Ilie | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| D | 23 | Lisav Naif Eissat | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 8 | Darius Olaru | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 10 | Nicolae Stanciu | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| M | 17 | Vladimir Screciu | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| F | 13 | Valentin Mihăilă | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| F | 3 | Daniel Birligea | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| F | 9 | Louis Munteanu | 1/2 | 1/2 |
Team News: Who Is Out
Jakub Kamiński is out injured, which thins Poland’s forward options and leaves Urban with fewer alternatives in the final third than elsewhere on the pitch. Of the players named on the bench, Robert Lewandowski and Karol Świderski stand out as the attacking options best placed to come into contention if changes are made up front.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Kamiński | F | injured | Unknown Injury |
For Romania, no absentees are recorded in the data, meaning Hagi appears to have his squad largely available to choose from ahead of this fixture. That gives him more selection freedom than his counterpart, with bench options such as Ianis Hagi and Andrei Rațiu offering depth across midfield and defence if the coach opts to rotate.
How These Line-ups Were Picked
Each predicted lineup here was built from that team’s last two available line-ups, with the more recent of the two weighted more heavily than the older one when working out who is most likely to start. Any player confirmed injured or suspended was removed from contention before the projection was built. This remains a projection rather than an announcement, and it can and will change once the official team news is confirmed closer to kickoff.
Read Also: Poland vs Romania Prediction: 02.10.2026 UEFA Nations League Preview
FAQ
What formation are Poland and Romania expected to play?
Poland’s predicted lineup points to a 3-4-2-1, while Romania’s expected XI is set up in a 4-3-3, with both shapes matching each coach’s own preferred formation.
Who is predicted to start in goal for Poland vs Romania?
Marcin Bułka is projected to start in goal for Poland, and Ionuț Andrei Radu is projected to start for Romania, both having started every recent match used for this projection.
Who is unavailable for Poland vs Romania?
Poland are without Jakub Kamiński, who is out injured, while no absentees are recorded in the data for Romania ahead of this match.
When do Poland and Romania kick off?
The UEFA Nations League match between Poland and Romania kicks off on Friday 2 October 2026.