AS Roma's Paulo Dybala.
Credit: Reuters Photo
AS Roma forward Paulo Dybala said it was a big blow to be left out of Argentina's Copa America squad and that he had been confident of selection for the tournament in the United States.
The 30-year-old scored 16 goals in 39 appearances for Roma last season but struggled with injuries and was the surprise absentee from Lionel Scaloni's 29-man squad named last week.
Scaloni still has to cut three players from the list for the tournament, which runs from June 20 to July 14.
"I felt like I did some good things this year," the 2022 World Cup winner told The Athletic on Thursday.
"I was confident about making the squad, so it was a very tough blow for me to take because being part of the national team is one of the best things ever.
"But I also understand that it’s hard for our coach to choose. I respect his decision. I’ve got a great relationship with him and he has certainly chosen the best for the team."
Dybala has a year left on his contract at Roma and he said he was unsure what the future holds for him.
“Italy has given me everything,” added Dybala, who has played in Italy for 12 years with Roma, Juventus and Palermo.
“It’d be hard to leave, but of course you always have the curiosity and wonder how you'd do in leagues as good as LaLiga and the Premier League, where there are great teams and great players."
Argentina play warm-up matches against Ecuador on June 9 and Guatemala on June 14 before the Copa America, where they face Peru, Chile and Canada in Group A.