STATS Perform/dpa
ROME
Angel Di Maria is out of action for the next 20 days but is expected to be fit for the World Cup, Juventus have announced.
The 34-year-old left the field in tears during Juventus’ shock Champions League defeat to Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday, sparking speculation about his availability for Argentina’s World Cup campaign.
La Albiceleste are already sweating on the fitness of Roma’s Paulo Dybala, out for four to six weeks with a quadriceps injury, while Lionel Messi has missed Paris Saint-Germain’s past two matches.
Juventus shared a positive update on Di Maria’s situation on Thursday, however, outlining the expectation that he will be fit for Argentina’s campaign in Qatar.
“The diagnostic tests that Di Maria underwent this morning...showed a low-grade lesion of the femoral biceps of the right thigh,” a statement read.
“It will take about 20 days for its complete recovery.” Di Maria will miss Juventus’ next two Serie A fixtures, against Torino and Lecce, as well as the crucial Champions League clash against Benfica in Lisbon, where Massimiliano Allegri’s side need a victory to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
The 20-day timeframe provided by Juventus runs until November 2, the date of their final Champions League group-stage clash against Paris Saint-Germain, but Di Maria could return for the Serie A showdown with Inter on November 6.
Argentina begin their World Cup campaign on November 22 against Saudi Arabia, before then facing Mexico and Poland in Group C.
