Gian Piero Gasperini issues worrying update on Paulo Dybala after Argentina international sustained thigh injury following missed penalty

The scenario was enough to assume Dybala had indeed suffered a hefty blow, but the extent of his injury is yet to be revealed. Gasperini said: "The worst thing of all on the penalty is that Dybala got injured. Now we need to see how long he’ll be out, certainly until after the break for international duty. This is the biggest loss of the night."

Notably, this was Dybala's first penalty miss in Roma colours. The last time the Argentine missed from the spot in a competitive fixture dates back to his Juventus days, as he last missed against Salernitana on November 30, 2021, almost four years ago.

The Italian head coach once again criticised his team's clinical abilities in front of goal. However, he felt the quality of football had improved.

He claimed: "We created lots of chances, this is the approach I want to take, and when you leave these games empty-handed there is a lot of regret, but also confidence we are on the right path. I think we made the step up in quality today in everything except the finishing. Our first half was excellent, with strong character to dominate a strong team on their own turf. We suffered a little after their goal and the start of the second half, but then got back to pushing again. I am struggling to find negatives from the performance. Naturally, we are angry and have regrets at the defeat, but unfortunately in football you can miss chances by centimetres, I remain happy with the overall performance.

"This team has spirit, it can play good football, we’ve certainly paid a price over these last few months for failing to convert four out of five penalties, which are a lot between Serie A and the Europa League. The other thing we need to improve is that I see many big clubs pouring forward and they still manage to get a goal somewhere even in chaotic fashion. I think that is what we are lacking, when you dominate a game to this degree, you need to take home the result."

Roma sit fourth on the Serie A table and boast the same points tally as Inter and Milan, but they have the lowest goals scored among the top 10 teams in the table, with only 10. While they have the best defensive record in the league, with just five goals conceded, the lackluster finishing has cost them. Previously, Gasperini had been furious with his team's sluggish approach in the attacking third, and now with Dybala's injury, he has another puzzle to solve. The Argentine is a vital cog in his system and missing his services against Rangers (November 6) in the Europa League, where his team are desperate for a win after emerging victorious only once in three matches, and against Udinese (November 9) in the league, who have six points fewer than them, is a huge blow for the Giallorossi.

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