Matty Cash has an opportunity to take another important step towards full match fitness when Poland begin their Nations League campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday night.
The Aston Villa defender has travelled with Jan Urban’s squad after recently returning from the muscular problem that disrupted the opening weeks of his season.
Poland’s official squad announcement from the Polish Football Association confirms Cash among the defenders selected for a demanding four-match international window.
Their first game takes place against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Warsaw on Friday, with kick-off scheduled for 7:45pm BST.
For Aston Villa, Cash’s involvement could provide another useful indication of his fitness after making his return against Tottenham Hotspur.
Matty Cash returns to Poland after Aston Villa injury
Cash had been dealing with muscular discomfort earlier in September.
The problem forced him to miss Villa’s Champions League victory over Club Brugge and the subsequent Premier League defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Our Matty Cash injury update detailed how Villa chose not to take any unnecessary risks with the defender after soreness emerged before the trip to Belgium.
Cash eventually returned during the 3-2 victory over Tottenham.
He replaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka at half-time and completed the final 45 minutes as Unai Emery’s side secured their first Premier League win of the season.
That comeback was enough for Cash to join up with Poland, who have included him in their squad for matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden and Romania before a second meeting with Bosnia.
The Polish FA has confirmed that Friday’s opener will be followed by a trip to Sweden on September 28, Romania at home on October 2 and Bosnia away on October 5.
Poland minutes could help Cash rebuild match sharpness
Friday’s fixture could be particularly useful if Cash is handed meaningful minutes.
His second-half appearance at Tottenham represented his first competitive action after the recent setback, meaning he has not yet completed a full match since returning.
Villa do not play again until after the international break.
That gives Cash the opportunity to build his fitness with Poland before returning to Bodymoor Heath ahead of the Premier League meeting with Brentford.
Our Aston Villa international-break tracker is following Cash and every other Villa player away with their country throughout the extended window.
The priority for Emery will be seeing those players return healthy, but regular competitive minutes could also benefit several members of his squad.
Cash falls firmly into that category.
Cash and Wan-Bissaka competition intensifies
His return has also created a genuine selection battle at right-back.
Wan-Bissaka started against Tottenham before Cash replaced him at half-time and has since added further competitive minutes of his own while representing DR Congo.
That leaves Emery with two senior right-backs pushing for the same position when domestic football resumes.
We examined that decision in our Matty Cash and Aaron Wan-Bissaka right-back analysis.
Wan-Bissaka offers Villa considerable defensive strength in one-against-one situations, while Cash already has extensive experience of Emery’s system and can provide a more aggressive attacking option down the right.
The international break could therefore have a significant bearing on the competition.
Cash now has the chance to demonstrate that his recent muscular problem is firmly behind him.
A strong run of minutes for Poland would send him back to Aston Villa in a much stronger position to challenge Wan-Bissaka for a starting place.
