The latest injury update on Evan Ferguson has the Republic of Ireland striker ruled out of Roma’s Serie A game against Cremonese on Sunday.
Ferguson has missed six matches since mid-January due to sprain to his left ankle.
He has suffered four separate set backs, to both ankles, since arriving on a season-long loan from Brighton last July.
The 21-year-old also missed most of last season following ankle surgery, having previously returned from a serious knee issue.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson had expected Ferguson to return to action this weekend, enhancing his chances of featuring in the World Cup playoff against the Czech Republic next month. The Meath man missed the qualifiers against Portugal and Hungary last November having scored three goals in Ireland’s four previous group games.
Ferguson has netted five times for Roma in 22 appearances this season, but a recovery timeline is currently unknown following his latest injury relapse.
“We’re working to get him back on his feet, but every time he changes direction, the ankle seems to sprain,” said Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini earlier this month. “It’s one [ankle] or the other, but the one he had an operation on is the most problematic, which hasn’t completely solved the problem.”