World Cup 'attainable goal' for Dybala despite thigh injury: source

Dybala was in tears after limping out of Roma's 2-1 Serie A win over Lecce on Sunday, when he injured his left thigh while taking the match's decisive penalty. Italian media reported that Dybala underwent scans on Wednesday and that the injury is expected to keep him out of action for at least a month.

A source told AFP that the tournament, which starts on November 20, was an "attainable goal" for the 28-year-old, who has 34 caps for his country, scoring three times.

Roma coach Jose Mourinho had said after the match that he wasn't expecting to have Dybala back until when Serie A restarts after the World Cup, in January. However, a month-long absence would allow him to return to action for Roma's final game before football's elite decamp to Qatar, against Torino on November 13.

Dybala has been an immediate hit at Roma, scoring seven times in 11 appearances in all competitions and setting up two more goals since arriving as a free agent in the summer.