- Juventus star Paulo Dybala tipped to recover in time for Tottenham clashes
- Two sides face off in the Champions League knockout stage
- Argentine international is a pivotal figure for the Turin giants in the final third
- READ MORE: Photo: Dejan Lovren trolls Dele Alli after controversy in Liverpool draw
Tottenham and Juventus will do battle in the Champions League knockout stages, and the Italian champions have seemingly received a major boost.
The two sides meet for the first leg next Tuesday night before the return fixture at Wembley on March 7. However, the Turin giants have had an injury problem in recent weeks.
Paulo Dybala has missed the last three Serie A games with a hamstring injury, and so with the Spurs game fast approaching, there has been concern for Juventus that he will be absent for their crunch tie in Europe too.
However, as reported by Corriere dello Sport, as seen in the image in the tweet below and re-reported by Calciomercato, the Argentine international is said to be working on his recovery with a view of featuring against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
#Dybala al lavoro per recuperare in tempo per la sfida con il Tottenham. Il ritorno è possibile. Quanti infortunati eccellenti in casa #Juve in vista della Champions (#CorSport) pic.twitter.com/hLUNAcoWpT
— Giovanni Capuano (@capuanogio) February 7, 2018
Whether or not he can complete that recovery in time for next week remains to be seen, but based on this report, it would suggest that the 24-year-old should certainly be back at Massimiliano Allegri’s disposal for the second leg next month.
If he is able to play next week, that will be a huge boost for Juve. Dybala has scored 17 goals and provided five assists in 28 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
It’s a continuation of his fine form and major influence on the side since joining in 2015, and so having him back and able to support Gonzalo Higuain in attack for the Serie A side, it would be music to the ears of Allegri and their supporters.
In contrast, it will pose a different and much more dangerous threat to Tottenham, as they will undoubtedly have their hands full with Dybala, provided that he is fully fit and ready to play.
Juventus take on Fiorentina on Friday night, and so it may well be worth monitoring that one from a Spurs perspective to see if Dybala gets a run out with a view of coming back into the line-up.
As noted by The Sun though, with Blaise Matuidi, Juan Cuadrado, Douglas Costa, Benedikt Howedes and Andrea Barzagli all struggling with knocks of their own, Juve could still be left weakened.