Why Paulo Dybala Is the Juventus Player Most in Need of the International Break

The international break is upon us, and throughout the world clubs like Juventus are praying their top players stay healthy—and continue to work with the players left behind.  For the Bianconeri in particular, the break is coming at an opportune time.

They've just been through their toughest stretch of the season.  In the six weeks or so since February began, they've played 11 games.  That's included three editions of the Derby d'Italia against Inter (one in the league and two in the Coppa Italia semifinal), one of the Derby della Mole against Torino, a top-of-the-table clash with Napoli and a pair of games against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.

That's a heck of a workload, and it's taken its toll.  At various points in the last few weeks, the team has been without key players like Claudio Marchisio and Giorgio Chiellini, the latter for an extended period of time.  

The international break will be a boon for both of them, giving them a week to heal before the next league fixtures.  But the most recent casualty on Juve's injury list is also the man that needs this break more than anyone else on the roster: Paulo Dybala.

The 22-year-old Argentinian striker was a surprise inclusion on Juve's injury report in the days leading up to the second leg of the Bayern tie after picking up a calf injury in training.  Even more surprising than his injury was his speedy return against Torino on Sunday.  He lasted only a half-hour before being forced to give way to Alvaro Morata.

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Coach Massimiliano Allegri said at his post-match press conference (h/t Football Italia) that Dybala had not aggravated his calf but tweaked his flexor muscle, and the player could be seen on the bench laughing with his teammates in the second half, so the team has appeared to dodge a bullet—but they need to be careful.

According to WhoScored.com, Dybala has played the fifth-most minutes in the league of any Juve player. Only Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Paul Pogba and Andrea Barzagli have played more than his 2,095, and he's played a full 360 minutes more than the person behind him on the list—Marchisio.  He's played 636 minutes more than Mario Mandzukic—the second-most used striker on the roster.

Add in another 420 Champions League minutes to his total and it starts to become clear just how badly Dybala needs a break.

For a 22-year-old body, this workload can be difficult to get used to, especially the first time around. WhoScored.com clocked him at 2,965 minutes at Palermo last year—only 450 more than Dybala has clocked between Serie A and Europe—and that's not including the time he's spent on the field in three appearances in the Coppa Italia.

For Allegri, these injuries, however minor they might be, should be setting off alarm bells.  Three seasons ago he was presiding over a similar breakout by a young forward at AC Milan.  Stephan El Shaarawy scored 16 times in all competitions before Christmas in the 2012-13 season, but he was even younger than Dybala, and the workload proved too much for him.

He scored only twice in the second half of the season and suffered chronic lower-body injuries over the next two seasons before Milan gave up on him this summer, moving him first to Monaco and then AS Roma.

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There are differences between Dybala and El Shaarawy.  The 2012-13 season was the first time the latter had ever gotten starter's minutes.  Dybala, on the other hand, was a starter for two seasons, one in Serie B and one in Serie A, before he arrived at Juventus.  But he's never had a workload that has included European commitments, and if he's stretched too far, a breakdown isn't out of the question.

The good news is, unlike when he was at Milan, Allegri has quality options to spell his young star. Mandzukic, Morata and Simone Zaza can all pick up the slack.  Dybala is also looking at a week of rest. Yes, he has been called up to the Argentinian national team, but leaving the field against Torino may make Gerardo Martino hesitant to put him into game action, especially with the other fully-fit options he'll have at his disposal.

This could give him a much-needed rest before the season's home stretch.  There are only eight more games left in the season, plus the Coppa Italia final, and Juventus will need their difference-maker if they want to ensure a fifth consecutive Serie A title.

Dybala's niggling injuries are likely the product of fatigue, which is natural at this stage in the season. What's important for Juventus—and for Argentina, when one thinks about it—is that those injuries don't turn into something that could put Dybala out of commission for a longer period of time.  In that sense, this international break was perfectly timed for the youngster to regain some strength.