Manchester United's Anderson rescued from car crash

Witnesses quoted by the Jornal de Noticias daily said the Brazilian player had lost control of his sports car in the early hours of Saturday on a local road near Braga in northern Portugal. The car hit a wall in a nearby field and caught fire.

"I thought he was dead. My brother dragged him out of the car, and we put out the flames before the entire car burned down," one of the witnesses told the paper.

The car was a two-seater, but there were two other passengers in it, a Brazilian woman and another man, according to local police.

Two companions who were also in the car at the time were admitted to St. Mark’s hospital along with the Brazilian, with all three being released before lunchtime after treatment for concussion, whiplash, and shock.

According to local police, the trio had been at a nightclub in Braga before the accident.

It is not yet known whether the player faces police charges for the accident.

The 22-year-old spent two years playing in Portugal for Porto before moving to Manchester United in 2007.