Ivory Coast sweat over Evan Ndicka fitness ahead of FCON 2027 qualifiers

Ivory Coast defender Evan Ndicka has suffered a muscle injury, raising concerns over his availability for both Roma and the Elephants ahead of their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Ivorian international was ruled out of Roma’s Serie A clash against Lecce on Monday, August 31, despite being included in the squad for the match.

Ndicka reportedly experienced a muscle problem during the warm-up and was forced to abandon his preparations before returning directly to the dressing room. He subsequently missed Roma’s 4-0 victory over Lecce.

The extent of the injury is yet to be fully established, but his condition is now being monitored closely ahead of Roma’s next Serie A fixture against Atalanta on September 5.

The injury could also become a concern for the Ivory Coast national team, with the Elephants set to begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations later this month.

Ivory Coast are scheduled to host Ghana on September 24 in their opening Group C qualifier before travelling to face Somalia on September 29 in their second match.

The Elephants will then face Cameroon in an international friendly on October 3 as part of their preparations.

Ndicka remains an important member of the Ivorian national team and has established himself as a key option in defence. His absence would therefore be a significant setback for head coach Hervé Renard, particularly with the qualifiers approaching.

For now, Ivory Coast will be hoping the muscle problem is not serious and that the Roma defender can return to full fitness in time to join the national team’s next training camp.

Roma and the Ivorian medical team are expected to continue assessing Ndicka’s condition in the coming days, with his recovery timeline likely to determine whether he can feature against Atalanta and subsequently report for international duty.