Roma were ready to welcome Paulo Dybala back last night.

The Argentine originally sat out the match against Real Madrid due to a muscle strain, which then worsened after about 72 hours: a minor tear to the soleus.

This situation has pushed his recovery time further.

Initially, he was expected to miss one, two games at most, but then that became four, and he will certainly miss five against Udine, barring any surprises. Yesterday morning, however, the Argentine was confident he would be back in the squad, as did Gasperini, who had expressed extreme confidence on the eve of the match.

The poster—the so-called “match program”—was also posted on the player’s social media, a prelude to Dybala’s return to the squad.

Then came the sudden suspension, dictated by the medical staff. Gasperini claimed yesterday on TV that “Dybala is not yet recovered,” but there are no reports that “La Joya” has suffered any relapses.

The decision not to allow Dybala to return to the field was strongly recommended as a precaution by Professor Del Vescovo, to give the player a few more days to fully test his legs in training. Today, the number 21, despite having the day off, is training at Trigoria, determined to be present in Manchester, despite Gasperini’s decision yesterday to play Roma vs. Sassuolo as his possible return match.

Dybala is desperate to play in the Champions League on Tuesday and will do his utmost to dispel any doubts about his condition.

The underlying idea is that there’s also an interest in not forcing anything, given Gasperini’s limited resources in the role, partly due to Pellegrini’s long-term injury. However, there is complete synergy and internal communication between Gasperini and the medical staff, as is the relationship between Dybala and Professor Del Vescovo, who authorized the player’s return to the team just before the weekend.