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Strachan rejects Polish accusations that Scotland are overly-physical

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan during a press conference at Hampden Park on Wednesday<br />Picture: PA&nbsp;
Scotland manager Gordon Strachan during a press conference at Hampden Park on Wednesday
Picture: PA 
Scotland manager Gordon Strachan during a press conference at Hampden Park on Wednesday
Picture: PA 

GORDON STRACHAN refutes suggestions from Poland that the visitors will be facing an overly-physical Scotland side in Thursday's crucial 2016 Euro qualifier at Hampden Park.

Much has been made of the tackle on Robert Lewandowski by defender Gordon Greer when the teams drew 2-2 in Warsaw a year ago, not least by the Bayern Munich striker who has this week tried to put pressure on Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai. 

Lewandowski, who has scored 12 goals in his last four games for Munich and 10 so far in Poland's qualification campaign, reportedly said: "I hope the situation on Thursday is not the same as in Warsaw because, after that foul by Greer, I couldn't run. I hope the ref will be more diligent this time."

Polish boss Adam Nawalka was quoted as describing the tackle on his striker as "brutal" and saying: "We hope the referee will be better and such a situation won't happen again."

However Strachan, who has lost winger Ikechi Anya to a calf injury, used Uefa statistics to compare the physicality of both teams.

He said on Wednesday: "I don't know the officials, or who is refereeing, I don't care.

"All I know is that over the tournament they have had about 30 per cent more fouls [given] against them than we have and more yellow cards than we have, so that is the reality. You can look it up."

In eight qualifiers, Scotland have committed 80 fouls and picked up 12 yellow cards, while the Poles have committed 110 fouls and received 15 yellow cards.

When those statistics were subsequently put to Nawalka at Poland's pre-match press conference, he smiled before saying: "We are anticipating a very difficult game."

Strachan stressed that teamwork is key to dampen the threat of Lewandowski and his team-mates.

He said: "Most of our work has been done in group defending and group attacking and hopefully our group defending will nullify any areas that their top players want to play in.

"But the secret is actually, if you keep the ball long enough and longer than them, then the chances of them scoring a goal is reduced. So that is what we have to try and do. And if we have more chances and more goals then that will be fine. But we understand that there are some right good players in the Polish side."

There are several permutations which could leave the Scots in a play-off spot, but defeat against the Poles would end hopes before the section finale against Gibraltar in Faro on Sunday.

It is a setback to Strachan that Watford winger Anya will be unavailable to help the Scottish cause.

Strachan said: "Ikechi is not going to make it, he has a tight calf so he has gone back to get treatment at Watford.

"James Morrison [suspended for Poland game] is going to struggle. He got an injury at the end of the game against Crystal Palace the other day.

"Charlie Mulgrew [thigh] was never going to be fit. Charlie is only here because he wanted to be here and add to the squad and what we do behind the scenes and he has certainly done that."