Scaloni explains Paulo Dybala omission from Argentina squad
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has cited injury and fitness concerns as the reasons for not picking Juventus star Paulo Dybala in his latest international squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.
Speaking in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport via Juvefc.com, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he feels sorry for not including Dybala in his squad. However, Dybala's lack of form and injury concerns were too huge to ignore. In the interview, Scaloni said:
"There’s no one more sorry for Dybala than me. Paulo is a player that I adore. But we need people who are ready and in a good shape. He had a difficult season, injuries prevented him from playing continuously. He came back too late, among other things in a complicated moment for Juve."
With Dybala out of Argentina's squad for the World Cup Qualifiers, it is safe to assume that manager Lionel Scaloni will not pick the 27-year-old forward for the upcoming Copa America either.
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Despite not picking Dybala in his squad, Scaloni said that if he had the liberty to pick a 26-man Argentina squad he would have selected the attacker as he still rates the Juventus forward rather highly. Scaloni added:
“If we had 26 players I would have brought him, but faced with such a narrow and complicated list we had to make this decision. But his value remains out of the question. I hope he’ll soon recover his form and return to the national team."
Lionel Scaloni likes Paulo Dybala and other Serie A's Argentina contingent
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is impressed by how many Argentine players are currently playing in Italy's top flight. Scaloni believes that Serie A is a great means to measure the footballing quality of Argentinians as there are so many of them playing in Italy. Scaloni said:
"As an Argentine, I can tell you that the Italian championship is always a point of reference for me. In Italy we have many Argentines who perform at a good level and that’s why we call them, in addition to the fact that all of us on the staff are attracted by the model and culture of Serie A."
Serie A has a tremendous amount of Argentinian talent at its disposal. Along with Paulo Dybala, the league also has exciting players like Rodrigo de Paul and Cristian Romero who are currently a part of the Argentina squad.
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