Paulo Dybala posted a photo of himself on Instagram laughing along with his Argentina teammate Lionel Messi, with the accompanying words: “We carry on with a smile! Let's go.” (More Football News)
Arge🐟ntina might be getting ever closer to a place in the World Cup final but, on a purely personal level, the tournament has been nothing much to laugh about for Dybala.
Paulo Dybala posted a photo of himself on Instagram laughing along with his Argentina teammate Lionel Messi, with the accompanying words: “We carry on with a smile! Let's go.” (More Football News)
Argentina might be getting ever closer to a place in the World Cup final but, on a purel𝓰y personal level, the tournament has been nothing much toไ laugh about for Dybala.
The Roma playmaker hasn't played a minute in Qatar, despite the injurဣies afflicting🍬 Argentina on its turbulent run to the quarterfinals and the declining form of forward Lautaro Martinez.
So what's the deal with Dybala, ꧑a player affectionately known ♕as La Joya (or “The Jewel”) and a standout in Italian soccer at his best?
His biggest impedime💮nt is Lionel Messi himself. Dybala's preferre𒅌d position is in the No. 10 position or the roving role off the striker -- which happens to be where Argentina's superstar is best deployed.
Given there's no way a healthy Messi is getting dropped, Dybala has to be moved into another✱ position that doesn't necessarily suit his game.
Then there's the thigh injury that almost cost him a place in Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's squad for the World Cup. It was sustained when he converted a late, winning penalty for Roma🧜 in early October and led to him missing eight games for his club.
Dybala r💃eturned for Roma's last game before tꦜhe World Cup, convincing Scaloni that he was healthy enough to be included in the 26-man squad.
The coach insists that fitness problems aren't the reason why Dybala has yet to play a෴t the World🍃 Cup.
“If he is out, it's only a tactical decision,” Scaloni said du💝ring the group stage.
“Paulo is fine, he is supporting the group from the outside. Obvღiously, he would like💙 to play more.”
That m🌜uch can be sa💜id about his overall international career.
Dybala is 29 and has played 34 games — often as a substitute — for Argentina 🔜since his debut in 2015, which does💃n't seem many for a player of his talent.
The last of his three goals for the Albiceleste c💎ame as a late substitute in the 3-0 win over Italy in the Fina𒈔lissima — a game between the European and South American champions — in London in June.
And his only game time at a World Cupﷺ was in 2018, as a 68th-minute substitute in the 3-0 loss to Croatia in the group stage. Argentina eventually exited in the round of 16 against France.
Ther😼e is a chance Dybala could see some action against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Friday, though.
Ángel Di María was injured against Poland in the final grouꦉp game and Papu Gómez, who replaced Di Maria in the 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16, came off in that match with some discomfort in his ankle.
According to Argentine media, neither Di María nor Gómez trained with the rest of the squa🍸d on Monday, instead doing recovery work separately.
That might leave a place in the front three up fo﷽r grabs against the Dutch.
Quoted in Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport on Monday, Dybala spoke of🐽 the “sacrifice” he made to get healthy again after the pre-tournament injury.
“I was scared because I knew that th🌱ere was little time available to recover and the injury was serious,” Dybala said.
“They were days of great effort in whicꦗh I was able to devote little time to my family and my girlfriend, but the dream of recovering was too big.”
Collecting a World Cup winner's medal would make that sacrifice worthwhile. Dybala, one of three outfield players yet to feature so far in the tournament, would just likꦕe to play an active role along the way.