Dybala to undergo thigh surgery and miss rest of Roma’s season

ROME (AP) - Roma's attempt at returning to the Champions League took a hit with the announcement on Thursday that Paulo Dybala will undergo left thigh surgery - ruling the Argentina playmaker out for the rest of the season.

Dybala was injured during a 1-0 win over Cagliari on Sunday.

"Paulo Dybala will undergo surgery in the coming days following an injury to his left semitendinosus tendon," Roma said. "The player and the club have mutually agreed that this is the best course of action for an optimal recovery."

Roma has surged up to seventh place with a 13-match unbeaten run under Claudio Ranieri in Serie A and has won six straight in the Italian league. The Giallorossi are four points behind fourth-placed Bologna and the final Champions League spot.

Roma has not played in the Champions League since 2018-19.

Roma was eliminated from the Europa League by Athletic Bilbao last week.

The often-injured Dybala has six goals in 24 appearances this season. He has not reached 30 appearances in a Serie A season since 2019-20, when he played in 33 games for Juventus.

Dybala was left off of Argentina's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil because of his injury.