Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Paulo Dybala set to miss crucial Argentina-Chile qualifier with injury

Paulo Dybala is set to miss Argentina's potentially crucial World Cup qualifier against Chile on Thursday, but the injury he suffered while playing for Juventus against Sampdoria last weekend is not thought to be serious.

Dybala was called up for international duty despite the knock, but Argentina's FA has announced that he is training individually and unlikely to be considered for selection.

"Paulo Dybala trained separately from the rest of the team today [Tuesday] and the minor injury to his left thigh has shown improvement," a statement said.

"Based on the evaluation done by our kinesiologist, his progress is to be monitored day-to-day."

Dybala is likely to be only a spectator in Buenos Aires, where a win for Argentina would see them climb above Chile into the final automatic qualifying spot for the 2018 finals.

Chile currently have 20 points, one more than Argentina, so a win for them would be equally significant -- but their recent history against Argentina does not bode well.

Of their five previous meetings, Argentina have won three while Chile have won two in penalty shootouts.

Dybala has scored eight Serie A goals this season, and the Bianconeri will be hoping the 23-year-old will be available for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Barcelona on April 11.

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