Juventus forward Angel Di Maria endured a painful Serie A debut, with an injury forcing him off the pitch 65 minutes into Monday’s match.
He had put in a lively performance to that point in a 3-0 win over Sassuolo but now faces concern about his status ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
The former Paris Saint-Germain winger has now undergone tests on his injury and Juventus have confirmed the severity of the problem, announcing an adductor injury that will be re-evaluated in 10 days.
Di Maria needed just 25 minutes to score his first league goal for his new club with a left-footed volley, and the Argentina international added an assist by teeing up Dusan Vlahovic.
He will be worried, however, that his injury could hamper his acclimation to Italian football and perhaps even put him at risk for Qatar.
The club signed Paul Pogba and Di Maria on free transfers last month, but the French midfielder suffered a knee injury in pre-season, and will not return before September after deciding against undergoing surgery to keep his World Cup hopes alive.
Now, Di Maria is set to be sidelined, with the Italian giants revealing the news on their official website on Tuesday.
Juventus return to action next Monday when they travel to Sampdoria, looking to build on their opening day win.
They then face a mouthwatering clash with Jose Mourinho’s Roma on August 27 at the Allianz Stadium.
With that game being less than two weeks away, Di Maria is likely to be a major doubt to return in time to feature.
