PORTO and Braga players were forced to push an ambulance off the pitch in incredible scenes after it broke down while attending to a horror injury.
In an action-packed Taca de Portugal semi-final first-leg, David Carmo – a deadline day transfer target for Liverpool – suffered a sickening blow to the ankle.
With Braga already 1-0 down, the defender, 21, threw himself at the ball to prevent Luis Diaz doubling Porto’s lead.
What first looked like an innocuous collision quickly turned more sinister.
With Carmo – dubbed the ‘next Virgil van Dijk’ – stricken on the turf, players from both sides rapidly gestured for help after realising the extent of the injury.
After consulting VAR, Diaz was shown a red card after replays revealed he caught Carmo high on the ankle with an horrific lunge.
The ambulance was called onto the pitch to take Carmo, also a transfer target for Manchester United, away for treatment following a lengthy delay.
But as the vehicle went to drive off, it broke down, forcing both Porto and Braga stars to push it off, leaving deep tyre marks on the pitch in its wake.
From then on, Porto were clinging on with just ten men.
And were dealt a blow after the fourth official signalled for 12 MINUTES of added time, due to Carmo’s injury.
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In that time, Mateus Uribe was sent off for a disgusting lunge of his own, leaving Porto with just nine.
And Braga made them pay by scoring in the 12th and final minute of time added on.
The second leg will be played at Porto on March 3.
Elsewhere, Neymar also suffered an injury during Paris Saint-Germain’s French Cup win over Caen.
The Brazilian appeared to hurt his left groin, with the knock coming just six days before their Champions League showdown with Barcelona.
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