Paulo Dybala at risk of missing World Cup after 'very bad' muscle injury
By Tom Gott
Roma manager Jose Mourinho has revealed he does not expect to see Paulo Dybala again in 2022 after the Argentine suffered what the manager described as a 'very bad' muscle injury.
Dybala, a free signing from Juventus this summer, bagged his fifth goal of the season from the penalty spot in Sunday's 2-1 win over Lecce but appeared to pick up an injury as he took the kick and was forced off immediately after.
After the game, Mourinho confessed he believes the injury could be worse than it initially appeared, admitting Dybala's chances of featuring at the World Cup are under real threat.
"I say bad, but honestly after speaking with Paulo, I think very, very bad," Mourinho said of the severity of Dybala's injury. "I am not a doctor, but in my experience, and speaking to Paulo, it’s unlikely we’ll see him this year."
Argentina head into this winter's tournament among the early favourites to go the whole way, with Dybala's recent form a major part of that.
La Albiceleste are due to get together in November to kick-start their preparations for the tournament, so Dybala faces a clear race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the winter showpiece in Qatar.
Injuries have limited his role for the international side in recent years, but Dybala was expected to be an integral part of Argentina's setup in Qatar as a result of his blistering start to life with Roma. The 28-year-old has seven goals and two assists in 11 games for the club.
With Argentina, Dybala has three goals in 34 caps, the latest of which came as he struck in the 3-0 victory over Italy at Wembley in June.