Scaloni saddened by Paulo Dybala's absence from international duty due to injury

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has expressed regret that Roma international Paulo Dybala has undergone surgery on a thigh injury which will rule him out for the rest of the club's season and international action.

Roma released a statement saying: "Paulo Dybala will undergo surgery in the coming days to repair an injury to the semitendinosus tendon in his left leg. The player and the club have decided together that this is the best option to achieve optimal recovery."

The 31-year-old Dybala has scored 8 goals and 4 assists this season. His last appearance was in Roma's 1-0 win over Cagliari. Now Dybala will miss the game due to surgery. Roma has not announced a specific timetable for his return, but surgery on the semitendinosus tendon usually requires at least 3 months of recovery.

Argentina will soon play against Uruguay in the South American World Cup qualifiers. At the pre-match press conference, Scaloni talked about Dybala's injury that has ruled him out for the season.

"Obviously, this news is very sad. When injuries happen, we worry. Dybala is very important to us as a person, in addition to being a player," Scaloni said.

"He always gave his all, whether he was with the team or not due to injury. It hurts from a human point of view that he can't go with the team. It's a big loss for us, he could have helped the team at a time like this."