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Jakub Kiwior returned to the Poland team against Portugal on Saturday, but it was seemingly an enforced inclusion due to injury.

BERLIN, GERMANY: Jakub Kiwior of Poland looks dejected after the team’s defeat in the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Poland and Austria at Olympiastadion on June 21, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

For a couple of years, Jakub Kiwior was pretty much undroppable with the Polish national team. The defender made 27 consecutive starts over the course of 27 months, and he only missed three minutes of the first 26 of those appearances.

The 27th was the breaking point, in which Kiwior was punished for a poor first-half display against Scotland last month by being withdrawn at half-time and dropped for the following game against Croatia.

Kiwior didn’t return to the starting lineup against Portugal on Saturday, but he did end up playing 45 minutes having come on at the break.

Scotland’s Scott McTominay (C) runs with the ball from Poland’s Jakub Kiwior (2L) during the UEFA Nations League League A Group 1 football match between Scotland and Poland, at Hampden Park stadium, in Glasgow, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The centre-back was introduced as a replacement for Sebastian Walukiewicz, and Poland boss Michal Probierz confirmed afterwards that the substitution was due to injury.

“Sebastian felt bad. That’s why we changed him,” Probierz told a post-match press conference.

Kiwior entered the game with Poland 2-0 down, and he put in a solid display as his team slowly took the upper hand and eventually scored to make it 2-1 in the 78th minute.

But after pushing forward for an equaliser, Poland were caught out 10 minutes later by a Jan Bednarek own goal to make it 3-1 and end the contest.

CARSON, CALIFORNIA: Jakub Kiwior of Arsenal FC celebrates after scoring during the penalty kick shootout against AFC Bournemouth at Dignity Health Sports Park on July 24, 2024. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

“We looked good with the ball in parts,” Kiwior said afterwards. “We created our own situations. Portugal has top players. It was visible today that they can create a situation out of nothing with one pass and end it with a goal.

“I just had to go out (and play). I know what we trained for, I was prepared and I had to play my game.”

Assuming Walukiewicz’s injury is serious enough to keep him out of Poland’s second game of the break against Croatia, Kiwior may now find himself back in the starting lineup. It’s a chance he’ll want to seize on Tuesday.