Roma forward Tammy Abraham 'sidelined until end of 2023'

Abraham has endured a mixed second campaign at Stadio Olimpico, scoring just nine times despite featuring in 54 matches.

The 25-year-old featured in each of Roma's 38 fixtures in Serie A, only to fail to complete the encounter with Spezia at the weekend.

Abraham went down awkwardly when challenging for a ball with a defender, leading to him needing to be withdrawn in the 80th minute after only been introduced as a substitute 16 minutes earlier.

At the time, it was feared that the England international faced a lengthy layoff, one that could have repercussions for both himself and Roma.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Abraham sustained an ACL injury that will keep him sidelined until November or December.

That effectively ensures that the striker will not be leaving the Italian giants during the summer transfer window, as had been expected for a number of months.

While the former Chelsea man still has three years remaining on his contract, Roma have been interested in cashing in on the player to boost their financial position.

Although Roma were able to claim a spot in next season's Europa League with a last-gasp win over Spezia, they are required to fulfil certain commitments due to an agreement with UEFA.

Amid reports that Abraham was available for a fee in the region of £40m, some stability could be secured if Abraham was allowed to return to the Premier League.

The likes of Aston Villa - a former club of Abraham - and Everton have most recently been credited as admirers of a player who has a total of 36 strikes and 12 assists from 107 outings in a Roma shirt.

Nevertheless, both clubs will now be forced to look elsewhere with Abraham facing a lengthy period of rehabilitation and the likelihood of needing to prove his fitness during the second half of 2023-24.

Roma currently have Andrea Belotti and Paulo Dybala on their books, while they may now need to explore the free-agent market to find an alternative to Abraham.