Evan Ndicka sparked fear when he collapsed in the second half of Roma’s Serie A clash with Udinese and reports have suggested the possible cause of the distressing incident.
The 24-year-old Ivorian defender fell to the floor off the ball in the 72nd minute of the match at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine on Sundy evening, instantly causing concern as play was stopped. He was stretchered off the pitch and taken to hospital, whilst the game was eventually abandoned.
Ndicka is in stable condition in hospital and was visited by the Roma squad. A photo of him looking positive provided some reassurance, but concern is still high for the 24-year-old, who is being kept for further tests. The defender did not suffer a heart attack, initial tests confirmed.
Ndicka collapse
Page two of today’s Gazzetta dello Sport details how Ndicka may have suffered the health scare due to a painful challenge in the first half of the match. In the 38th minute, the Roma defender took a hit to the chest by Lorenzo Lucca.
This hit could’ve caused a pulmonary compression, which in turn led to fibrillations, causing him to feel chest pains and collapse later in the second half. At this stage, it is still too early to confirm if this is the case or not, but it is one of the theories.