(Photo by WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

New Poland coach Fernando Santos has named his first Poland squad, to kick off the Euro 2024 Qualifying campaign against Czech Republic and Albania later this month.

25 players were named in his first selection, with a first senior call-up handed to Raków Częstochowa’s young American-born midfielder Ben Lederman. There were also appearances for fellow U21 stars Michał Karbownik and Kacper Kozłowski, having previously been on the fringes of the team under Czesław Michniewicz.

Elsewhere, Bartlomiej Drągowski returns to the fold after the injury which kept him out of the World Cup, alongside fellow Serie A stars Skorupski and Szczesny.

While Robert Lewandowski’s place is almost guaranteed, other members of the traditional spine of the Reprezentacja were absent from the announcement. There is no place for Saudi-based Grzegorz Krychowiak, perhaps hinting at Santos’ preference to look at younger alternatives; while Kamil Glik joins Arek Milik on the injury list.

Poland start their qualification campaign against Czech Republic in Prague on Friday 24 March, before hosting Albania in Warsaw, three days later on 27 March.

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Full Poland Squad:

Goalkeepers:
Bartlomiej Drągowski (Spezia), Łukasz Skorupski (Bologna), Wojciech Szczęsny (Juventus).

Defenders:
Jan Bednarek (Southampton), Bartosz Bereszyński (Napoli), Matty Cash (Aston Villa), Paweł Dawidowicz (Hellas Verona), Robert Gumny (FC Augsburg), Michał Karbownik (Fortuna Dusseldorf),  Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal), Kamil Piątkowski (Gent)

Midfielders:
Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City), Kacper Kozłowski (Vitesse Arnhem), Ben Lederman (Raków Częstochowa), Karol Linetty (Torino), Damian Szymański (AEK Athens), Sebastian Szymański (Feyenoord), Przemysław Frankowski (RC Lens), Jakub Kamiński (VfL Wolfsburg), Michał Skóraś (Lech Poznań), Nicola Zalewski (AS Roma), Piotr Zieliński (Napoli).

Strikers:
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Krzysztof Piątek (Salernitana), Karol Świderski (Charlotte FC).