Striker Paulo Dybala continues without adding minutes in four games for Argentina in the World Cup

It is probably the biggest mystery of Argentina in the World Cup.

Why hasn’t Paulo Dybala played yet?

La “Joya” and Ángel Correa are the only strikers who did not have minutes in the four games played in Qatar . Even Thiago Almada, 21, who joined the World Cup squad at the last moment due to the loss of Joaquín Correa, had the opportunity of him.

The Italian Roma striker was called up by coach Lionel Scaloni despite a long inactivity due to a tear he suffered a month before the World Cup.
But the strategist himself ruled out a physical problem.

“He has not played because I have not seen the opportunity to put it,” Scaloni explained Thursday at a press conference. “Okay, he’s in a position to be fielded, but we consider that in the developments of all the matches we haven’t had the chance to put him in.”

Dybala, 29, went through a similar situation four years ago. In the World Cup in Russia he played just 20 minutes in the 3-0 defeat against Croatia.

Like Jorge Sampaoli before him, Scaloni faces the same dilemma: Dybala acts in the same position as star Lionel Messi, who gets annoyed if the coaches take him out even if the game is over.

However, Dybala and Messi played the last minutes together against Italy in the Finalíssima in June. The Roma striker even scored one of the goals.

“We are happy with him and his contribution. But we have 26 players and we try to get them to come in because of the development of the game”, concluded Scaloni without further details.

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