In the absence of Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala was set to take his place for Argentina during this international break. However, he too had to be called up from the squad by Lionel Scaloni due to a muscle injury he sustained during the last match for Roma… which turned out to be more serious than expected, to the point that he will not play again this season.

Dybala's Tears

The incident occurred 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute in Roma's victory over Cagliari at the Olimpico. Immediately, Paulo Dybala felt discomfort in the back of his left leg and had to ask to be substituted. Dybala's tears reflected that he was fully aware that he wouldn’t be able to join Argentina for this international break.

In recent days, there has been a lot of secrecy surrounding the seriousness of Paulo Dybala's injury. In fact, Roma had not issued any statement regarding the situation to provide an initial report… and he had not even been examined by the medical staff of the Argentina national team. This shows that, as it has now been confirmed, the problem was much more serious than just a simple muscle injury.

Roma and Dybala's Message

That said, Roma issued a statement early this morning confirming that Paulo Dybala will have surgery: “Paulo Dybala will undergo surgery in the coming days after suffering an injury to the left semitendinosus tendon. The player and the club mutually agreed that this is the best course of action for an optimal recovery from the injury.”

For his part, Dybala also wanted to send a message: “After the results of the tests and after evaluating various options, I have decided to undergo surgery now to return as soon as possible. Although I will be out of the field for a while, I will continue supporting my teammates at Roma in this crucial phase of the season and our national team, which I will follow as a fan during these qualifying matches. I will return soon, even stronger, I promise. See you on the field! Forza Roma and Vamos Argentina!”