Roma's Evan Ndicka collapses on pitch as Udinese Serie A clash abandoned

Roma's match against Udinese in Serie A was abandoned on Sunday after Evan Ndicka collapsed suddenly on the pitch.

The French-born centre-back's wellbeing became a cause for concern, leading to the suspension of the game with 18 minutes left and the score at 1-1. Romelu Lukaku had equalised for Roma in the 64th minute, following an early strike from former Watford midfielder Roberto Pereyra for the hosts.

Shortly after Lukaku's goal, 24 year old Ndicka unexpectedly fell off the ball. Following his removal on a stretcher, both teams' players were seen discussing with match referee, Luca Pairetto. Roma manager Daniele De Rossi and Udinese boss Gabriele Cioffi also participated in the talks. After a 10-minute discussion, the decision to abandon the match was communicated to the Stadio Friuli crowd, who responded with applause. Despite Ndicka giving a thumbs-up as he was stretchered off, the level of concern was too high to continue the match.

Sky Italia reports that Ndicka is now conscious and has been taken to hospital, reports the Mirror. Ndicka joined Roma last summer on a free transfer after spending five seasons with Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt. Born in Paris, Ndicka started his career at French club Auxerre.

Sitting fifth in Serie A, Roma's boss Daniele De Rossi made significant alterations to his squad for the journey to Udinese, reinstating Ndicka after a brief absence. The Giallorossi's gaffer remarked before the halted Sunday game: "Dybala and Pellegrini can still play although I made the decision to bench Paulo (Dybala)."

"(Lorenzo) Pellegrini, on the other hand, has a minor problem that needs to be taken care of. The other choices were a bit forced by the circumstances. We will have to beware of Udinese and their set-pieces. Today we have a tricky match on our hands and we must be careful."