Angel di Maria leaves the pitch in TEARS after sustaining a muscle injury during Juventus’ shock 2-0 defeat by Maccabi Haifa… with the Argentina star a doubt for the World Cup just five weeks away
- Angel di Maria limped off emotionally after suffering an injury on Tuesday night
- Juventus endured a poor 2-0 defeat by Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League
- The 34-year-old appeared to injure his right thigh midway through the first half
- Di Maria is now a major doubt for Argentina at the Qatar World Cup next month
Juventus star Angel di Maria left the pitch in tears after sustaining a muscle injury in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Argentine playmaker, who joined the Italian giants this summer on a free transfer, is now a major doubt for the World Cup in Qatar next month.
Juventus’ chances of progressing to the Champions League knockout stages also took a significant blow on Tuesday, as Massimiliano Allegri’s side suffered a 2-0 defeat by Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa.
Angel di Maria left the pitch in tears during Juventus’ miserable 2-0 defeat by Maccabi Haifa
The Argentine star sustained an injury to his right thigh and is now a doubt for the World Cup
Di Maria clutched his leg after running towards a pass in the 24th minute, clearly feeling some discomfort in his right thigh.
Aware of the consequences, the 34-year-old shook his head towards the dugout and emotionally limped off the pitch, wiping his eyes with his shirt.
Omer Atzili added to his seventh minute opener with Maccabi Haifa’s second before half-time, rounding off a dominant half for the home side.
Despite Juventus’ best efforts to respond after the break, the hosts held on to mark a third defeat for the Italian club in the competition.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side sit five points behind PSG and Benfica with just two games to play
The Argentina veteran now looks unlikely to join Lionel Messi and Co on the plane to Qatar
The disappointing result piled even more pressure on to manager Allegri, who has endured a poor start to the campaign with Juventus.
The Serie A side sit eighth in the top flight with just three wins from nine matches and now face an uphill task to reach the Champions League knockouts.
With Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica leading Group H on eight points each, Juventus are five points behind in third with two matches to play.