EX-JUVENTUS DOCTOR EXPLAINS DYBALA'S INJURY

Tuttosport interviewed Dr. Fabrizio Tencone, former Juventus doctor who took stock of Dybala's injury:

There are three degrees of injuries, In the third degree, there is a complete rupture of the ligament, in the second a partial rupture, in the first a minimal rupture. So in the case of Paulo Dybala the injury is of limited seriousness. The lucky aspect is that the medial collateral ligament heals, unlike other knee ligaments (e.g. the cruciate). But precisely because the ligament heals, forming a small scar, it continues to hurt for a long time, i.e. it continues to twinge, or twinge a little. This aspect often frightens the athlete, who fears that he is not in good shape. Instead, it is precisely the stiffness from healing that gives the feeling that the ligament is "pulling". Especially in football which is made up of twisting, changes of direction, a lot of kicking. These are movements that put a lot of strain on the medial collateral.

Obviously, one has to make sure that the repair has taken place, with MRI scans. But in general, these twinges tend to be annoying but not dangerous. They can recur 3-4 months after the injury, but they are not causing alarm.