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Paulo Dybala injury history and updates

By James Cormack

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2021/12/08: Paulo Dybala of Juventus Fc during warm up before the Uefa Champions League Group H match between Juventus Fc and Malmo FF . Juventus Fc wins 1-0 over Malmo FF. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2021/12/08: Paulo Dybala of Juventus Fc during warm up before the Uefa Champions League Group H match between Juventus Fc and Malmo FF . Juventus Fc wins 1-0 over Malmo FF. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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Ah, the perpetually injured Paulo Dybala.

Well, that’s how it felt in 2021, at least. Whenever the brilliant Argentine playmaker built up any momentum in Bianconeri colours, he was stricken by a minor issue that kept him sidelined for a week or two.

Throughout his career, we’ve seen Dybala limp off several pitches, occasionally with tears, to the dismay and exasperation of Juventus supporters.

La Joya has built up quite the injury history since he burst onto the scene in Piedmont, and here’s a complete rundown of Dybala’s medical bill up to this point in his career.

Paulo Dybala injury history

Paulo Dybala thigh injury, December 2021

Paulo Dybala most recently limped off with a thigh injury against Venezia. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Paulo Dybala most recently limped off with a thigh injury against Venezia. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images) /

Dybala’s latest setback occurred early on in Juve’s 1-1 draw with Venezia on December 11. He limped off with what was later revealed to be a right thigh injury, but tests showed that La Joya had avoided any muscle damage.

Still, Max Allegri opted to rest the Argentine for the remainder of 2021 and the Bianconeri continued their fine form in his absence. Allegri’s side claimed victories over Bologna and Cagliari to close out the calendar year with a bang.

Dybala is set to return for Juve’s opening fixture of 2022 against Napoli. The Bianconeri’s crown jewel is back in full training.

Paulo Dybala thigh injury, September 2021

Dybala left the Allianz Stadium in tears after picking up this injury. But, it wasn’t as sinister as it first appeared. After opening the scoring in an eventual 3-2 victory over Sampdoria back in September, Dybala was forced off after 21 minutes with a thigh problem.

Officially, the Argentine suffered an “elongation of the semitendinosus muscle in the left thigh”, but he only missed two games as a result. Dybala missed slender victories over Torino and AS Roma before marking his return with a late equaliser in the Derby d’Italia.

Paulo Dybala knee injury, January 2021

This was the most serious injury of his career up to this point. Midway through a 3-1 victory over Sassuolo last January, Dybala sustained a knee injury that’d see him miss the next 18 games as a consequence.

The initial diagnosis was a “low-grade lesion” of the medial collateral ligament in the left knee that would see him miss between “15/20 days” of action. Instead, Dybala missed almost three months and Andrea Pirlo felt his absence.

While Juve beat the teams they should’ve beat with La Joya missing, they dropped crucial points against eventual champions Inter Milan, as well as Napoli before falling to an embarrassing home defeat against Benevento. They were also knocked out of the Champions League during this period.

Paulo Dybala muscle injury, April 2019

Dybala’s 2018/19 campaign was one of the worst of his career. (Photo by Giampiero Sposito/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Dybala’s 2018/19 campaign was one of the worst of his career. (Photo by Giampiero Sposito/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) /

The crafty playmaker missed three games late on in 2018/19, Allegri’s final season in his first stint at the club. It had been a frustrating season for Dybala and this minor setback compounded his woes.

A muscle tear kept him out of a victory over Fiorentina and draws in two derbies versus Inter and Torino. He returned for the final three games of the season, but he failed to notch a goal contribution in 270 minutes of action.

Paulo Dybala hamstring injury, January 2018

A hamstring problem kept Dybala sidelined for much of January and early February 2018. Once again, the injury reduced the player to tears as he prematurely departed a 1-0 victory over Cagliari.

He missed four games as a result, during which Juventus won all four and didn’t concede. They were dominant under Allegri that season with Dybala returning for the Champions League knockout stages.

Paulo Dybala hamstring injury, October 2016

His first notable hamstring injury came way back when in October 2016. In a contest with AC Milan that’d eventually end in defeat, Dybala attempted to beat mammoth goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from range, tweaking his hammy in the process.

Juventus officially described La Joya’s injury as a “severe knock to the posterior region of the right thigh” before confirming minor tearing.

He missed eight games as a result, with Juventus losing just once.

Paulo Dybala calf injury, March 2016

A calf injury sustained in March  (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
A calf injury sustained in March  (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) /

Dybala’s first notable injury was a knock to his calf in March 2016. The Juve man missed a thrilling 4-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie with what the club officially reported as a “swollen soleus muscle”.

He returned four days later in a 4-1 victory over Torino, but his return arrived too soon and he could only muster 33 minutes of action. As a result, he missed the next two games with the same problem. Still, the injury didn’t have any impact on what was a majestic season for Dybala in Turin.

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