LUCAS MOURA was rushed to hospital after suffering a horror rib injury for Sao Paulo.
The Tottenham Hotspur cult hero was badly hurt in the 1-0 defeat to Atletico Mineiro on Wednesday.
Moura, 33, started the match on the bench but was subbed on in the 60th minute.
But his appearance did not last long as he was caught in a challenge with Tomas Cuello.
The attacker was caught in the face by his rivals knee and landed heavily on the ground.
He was left struggling to breathe and was stretchered off the pitch before being replaced by Gonzalo Tapia.
In total, he was on the pitch at the Arena MRV for just 12 minutes of the Brasileiro Serie A clash.
Sao Paulo have confirmed that the Brazilian is undergoing tests at hospital.
He is yet to have been given clearance to return to Sao Paulo and continue his treatment there.
A statement read: “After suffering a trauma during the match this Wednesday against Atletico Mineiro, the attacking midfielder Lucas underwent imaging exams at Hospital Mater Dei in Belo Horizonte and was diagnosed with fractures in two ribs.
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“The athlete is under evaluation at the hospital, awaiting clearance to return to the capital of Sao Paulo and continue treatment at Sao Paulo.”
The defeat will come as a shock to Sao Paulo who have enjoyed a positive start to the season.
The club would have gone top of the leave with a win or a draw but now remain second to Palmeiras.
Moura cemented himself in Spurs history as he netted a dramatic hat-trick against Ajax in the Champions League semi-final in 2019.
The goals saw Spurs overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg and send the club to the final against Liverpool – which they would lose.
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