Paulo Dybala Suffers Ankle Injury vs. Pescara

Juventus star Paulo Dybala asked for a substitution after picking up a knock during the Serie A match against Pescara on Sunday.

As shared by the club's official Twitter account, he was taken off for Stefano Sturaro less than an hour into the match:

After the match, Football Italia reported Dybala suffered an ankle injury. 

The young Argentinian took plenty of abuse from the opposition during the match, and an injury seemed to be coming. While the severity of the issue isn't clear at this point, any knock is bad news with an eye on the return match against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.

Dybala has grown into a crucial figure at the Juventus Stadium since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2015.

The former Palermo man is one of the most exciting forwards in Serie A. His creativity in possession, dynamic running and finishing ability have made him a fearsome proposition for opposition defenders.

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Indeed, without Dybala, Juventus are not as inventive in the final third. While Gonzalo Higuain is a poacher extraordinaire and Mario Mandzukic is a physical force, they lack an explosiveness on the ball that the No. 21 brings.

Without Dybala, there's an extra onus on Mandzukic and Higuain to get goals for the Bianconeri. In terms of creativity, Miralem Pjanic, Juan Cuadrado and Claudio Marchisio also have more responsibility without the 23-year-old in the side.

Sturaro could also shift out wide, allowing Mandzukic to move into a central role. 

As such, Juve do have a squad that can cope without Dybala, especially in Serie A. However, manager Massimiliano Allegri will be keen to get the forward back on the field as soon as possible to provide an extra edge to the team's attacking play.