Poland U-17 World Cup squad depleted after FIFA rule out replacing banished players

Poland’s preparations for the under-17 World Cup, which began on Friday in Indonesia, have been severely damaged after four players sent home from its training camp cannot be replaced.

On Monday, the Polish Football Association (PZPN) announced that four players were removed from the squad due to unsportsmanlike behaviour and violation of the regulations.

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Poland had hoped to replace the four banished players but has been dealt a serious blow due to FIFA’s rules.

“As per Article 27.3 of the tournament regulations, a player listed on the final list may be replaced by a player from the provisional list only in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the kick-off of their team’s first match,” FIFA told  Reuters.

The squad now has just 14 outfield players for the tournament, where Poland begins with a game against Japan on Saturday, in a group also containing Argentina and Senegal.