Football's strangest game this season? Serie A match'll last just 18 mins today

Serie A action returns on Thursday night but in the unusual manner of an extremely shortened match.

Udinese face Roma in a rescheduled clash from earlier this month - with this encounter only being 18 minutes plus whatever stoppage-time is determined.

This is because the original fixture on April 14 was abandoned after 72 minutes when Roma defender Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch.

The 24-year-old Ivorian was carried off on a stretcher after falling backwards on to the pitch with the game in Udine later abandoned at 1-1.

Ndicka was conscious but visibly in pain, rubbing his chest with his right hand as the medical team rushed towards him.

He was discharged from the hospital a day after the incident and has been been cleared to resume sporting activity after undergoing a series of tests.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Giallorossi said: 'Ndicka underwent a series of cardiologic and third level pulmonary tests.

'Tests conducted confirmed the absence of cardiac pathologies and the healing of the minimal pneumothorax that occurred during the match.

'The player is therefore fit for resuming sports activity that will be monitored in the following days.'

And with both teams agreeing to conclude the encounter, we now have the bizarre scenario of this resumption.

Both sides are allowed to completely alter their starting XIs for this fixture, however, those who were substituted off during the initial 72 minutes of the game are not allowed to feature. In this instance this applies to Kingsley Ehizibue and Hassane Kamara for Udinese and Dean Huijsen and Houssem Aouar for Roma

From the first match, Roma will be without the now-injured Romelu Lukaku, who scored in the original fixture, but can call upon Sardar Azmoun and Paulo Dybala to help