Qatar 2022: Worry For Argentina With Angel Di Maria’s Hamstring, Paulo Dybala’s Quadriceps, Lionel Messi’s Calf Injuries?

Angel Di Maria exited Juventus’ Champions League game at Maccabi Haifa last Tuesday, and now Argentina has another injury concern ahead of the World Cup Qatar 2022.

In the first half, Di Maria was running for a ball when he pulled up grasping the back of his right thigh. He was seen wincing in pain, reported the AP News. He provided all three assists when Juventus beat Haifa 3-1 earlier this month.

The injury came just days after Paulo Dybala, a fellow Argentina international, was injured while playing for Roma. As for Argentine star Lionel Messi, he has a slight calf injury. He was unavailable for Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) game against Benfica in the Champions League last Tuesday. At the time, PSG had said in a statement that Messi was not yet ready to play.

Argentina is one of the favorites for the tournament in Qatar. While the World Cup begins on Nov. 20, Argentina opens against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 22. The country also faces Mexico and Poland in Group C.

Juventus said on Thursday that Di Maria sustained a low-grade hamstring injury and will be out until early November, which means that he is expected to be fit in time for the World Cup, reported ESPN. The 34-year-old underwent scans on Thursday. Juventus said in a club statement that Di Maria underwent diagnostic tests, which revealed a "low-grade lesion to the hamstring of the right thigh." The club shared that it will take "around 20 days for the player's complete recovery."

Dybala recently suffered a quadriceps injury in the last league outing with Lecce at the Stadio Olimpico, and Roma are soon hoping to obtain a more precise timeline of recovery for its star attacker, reported Roma Press. The club reportedly wanted to wait in case of any swelling in his leg before having him undergo further medical tests at Trigoria. The medical staff of the club are yet to give the green light for the tests. The injury might not be as bad as initially anticipated, and Roma is hoping to have the Argentine back at its disposal for the Derby della Capitale on Nov. 6.