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AS Roma striker Paulo Dybala might miss the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The Argentinian star scored the deciding penalty on Sunday against Lecce in a 2-1 win but while kicking the ball he apparently injured himself and was substituted immediately afterward. Dybala has a long history of injuries, but this one might compromise his presence at the 2022 World Cup which is scheduled to start on November 20 and will end on December 18. As AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho explained to DAZN in the post-match interview, the injury might be a serious one. Further examinations will take place between Monday and Tuesday to figure out how bad the damage is and for how long he will be out. "To put it mildly – it's bad. Unfortunately, it's very, very bad. I'm no doctor, and I haven't spoken with him, but from experience we won't see him before the break.", Mourinho said. 

Dybala injury impact on Roma

Paulo Dybala moved to AS Roma this summer as free agent after his contract with Juventus expired. Since his arrival at the club, Dybala has scored seven goals in eleven matches, as well as providing two assists. He's had a very positive impact on the club, with the fans absolutely loving him. However, his injury will force Jose Mourinho to make some tactical changes. Until now, Mourinho managed to play with more offensive players such as Lorenzo Pellegrini, Dybala himself, Nicolo Zaniolo and Tammy Abraham. Now things will have to change, and it's likely that captain Lorenzo Pellegrini will move forward to play with Zaniolo behind Abraham, and Cristante will likely play alongside Matic in the midfield. For sure, the Giallorossi will miss a lot without Dybala. His tactical vision and his importance this year are central for the club and Jose Mourinho, who has to deal with too many injuries. After Gini Wijanldum, Zeki Celik and Rick Karsdorp, Dybala is the last name on the list of injured players with Mourinho who is now running out of options on the bench. 

Dybala injury impact on Argentina

For the Argentina's national team, the story is a little different. Due to the many injuries Dybala has suffered over the years, he has not been a central player for coach Lionel Scaloni recently. For Argentina, Dybala has only played 34 matches in more than seven years and scored three goals. In the past twelve months he only started once and played five games, scored only one goal, against Italy at the Finalissima 2022, and generally been more of a bit player. Dybala's absence at the World Cup would definitely be a loss for Scaloni, but more because it reduces the squad's depth than anything else, as the coach already showed that he can play without the AS Roma striker in the past months.