GKS Katowice finished 5th in the Ekstraklasa in the 2025/26 season and will start the Conference League campaign, but the club has injury problems, including Rafał Strączek. The injury occurred in the final match of the season against Pogoń Szczecin. Strączek had to undergo a shoulder surgery due to a dislocated shoulder. Strączek will undergo rehabilitation for the next few months under the supervision of physiotherapists. The estimated return to play is around four months, which means he will return in October. In the previous season, Strączek played a total of 26 matches for GKS and was one of the best players on his position in the entire league.