Piast Gliwice will have to cope without one of their defenders at a key moment of the season. The League Commission punished Ema Twumasi after a dangerous entry in the match against Lechia Gdańsk, and the decision means a bigger problem for the Silesian team than it may seem. In the background there is a fight for relegation, a tight schedule and two matches that may have a big impact on the table.

The incident occurred in the 23rd minute of the league match against Lechia. Piast’s defender lost control of the ball, and a moment later he attacked Iwan Żelizka with his straight leg. The situation looked very dangerous, so referee Paweł Raczkowski decided to analyze it again on replays.

After seeing the score, the referee did not change his mind and awarded a direct red card. It was this foul that became the basis for the subsequent decision of the League Commission, which dealt with the matter during Wednesday’s meeting.

Ema Twumasi suspended for two matches

Ultimately, the Piast player was suspended from the game for two games. The club informed that this is the basic penalty, i.e. the lowest sanction resulting from a red card shown in such a case. Therefore, there was no question of an additional tightening of the penalty, but the decision still means a noticeable loss for the inhabitants of Gliwice.

Twumasi will not be available in the matches against Arka Gdynia and Korona Kielce. These matches are particularly important because Piast is facing teams that are also fighting for league existence. At this point in the season, any absence in the basic formation can have a major impact on the result and final points.

Piast Gliwice has a serious problem before important matches

The lack of a right defender complicates the situation of coach Daniel Myśliwiec. The coach loses a player who regularly appeared on the pitch and was one of the elements of the defensive rotation. In a tense situation in the table, such a weakening may turn out to be extremely inconvenient.

Piast doesn’t have much margin for error today. The team needs points and has to face similar rivals ahead of it. In such circumstances, even a two-match break for one of the players becomes a problem that cannot be underestimated. Especially since this is a player responsible for playing defense, where one deficiency often forces subsequent adjustments in the formation.

Twumasi’s balance in Piast colors

The footballer joined Piast Gliwice in the summer as a free player. Since then, he has made 25 appearances and recorded one assist. However, his card statistics show that he played very hard, because in addition to the red card, he also saw eight yellow cards.

The most important numbers related to his period at the club so far are as follows:

• 25 matches played,
• 1 assist,
• 8 yellow cards,
• 1 red card.

This comparison shows that Twumasi gave Piast regularity, but at times he was also on the verge of risk. This time it ended not only with the immediate weakening of the team during the match, but also with a suspension that may affect the club’s situation in the coming weeks.