Paulo Dybala suffered an injury when Roma defeated Lecce on Sunday, 2-1. The Argentine striker limped after scoring the winner just four minutes into the second half.
After scoring a penalty that went past Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone, Dybala winced and grabbed his left leg. In the stopped celebrations, Dybala tried to walk away from the blow, while other Roma players pointed to the bench. Finally, coach José Mourinho replaced Dybala off the pitch, with Nemanja Matic coming on in his place.
After the game, about Paulo Dybala’s injury. Speaking to DAZN, Mourinho said the prospects are poor, just based on the coach’s experience with this type of injury.
“I say [Dybala is] bad. Not to say very, very bad. Unfortunately, it is more very bad than [just] bad,” Mourinho said. The first reports about the injury state that it could last from four to eight weeks. It’s listed as a quadriceps injury.
Like many other teams spread across European competition, AS Roma have a packed schedule before the World Cup kicks off in November. Paulo Dybala is almost certain to be out of the nine games Roma have until mid-November. However, that is not the biggest loss for the player.
Paulo Dybala’s injury and the World Cup
Part of the reason Paulo Dybala moved to Roma was to improve his form in preparation for the World Cup. As of now, Dybala is not a bona fide starter for the Argentina national team. In fact, there is a case where he doesn’t even get on the plane to Doha.
Through 11 games, that bet paid off. Dybala has seven goals and two assists in his time in Serie A and the Europa League in 2022/23. However, this injury not only stops his form, but puts Paulo Dybala on the fence for the national team altogether.
Lionel Scaloni did not select Dybala for the 2021 Copa América. However, he called Dybala up for the Finalissima against Italy last summer. The Roma striker scored after coming off the bench in stoppage time.
The World Cup for Argentina starts on Tuesday, November 22. He opens the tournament as one of the favorites and a first match of the group stage against Saudi Arabia.
PHOTO: IMAGO / UK Sports Pics Ltd
