Cesc Fabregas may have broken his leg before clash with Barcelona

Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas may have broken his leg even before he went on the pitch to face Barcelona, club sources have revealed.

Fabregas suffered a hairline fracture after a dangerous tackle from Barcelona defender Carles Puyol during their Champions League quarterfinal game on Wednesday.

But his break is in exactly the same spot, on exactly the same leg, as his injury at St Andrew's.

“There's an increasing suspicion his leg was already broken when he went on the pitch to play against Barcelona. The injury is in exactly the same place as the injury he suffered at St Andrew's,” The Sun quoted an Arsenal source, as saying.

“That's not necessarily proof. But Cesc didn't feel 100 per cent going on to the pitch but he didn't know himself. Nobody knew really. The only other possible explanation is it was weakened at Birmingham - then broke with the impact on the legs of Puyol,” he added.

The theory is set to alarm Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who would want to know if Fabregas had an MRI scan and X-ray before getting the all-clear to play.

The Gunners confirmed last night Fabregas, 22, has a small crack in his right fibula and will be out for around six weeks.

He also fears he could miss the World Cup finals.

"Following a scan, the club can confirm Cesc suffered a small crack in his right fibula. As a consequence, he will miss the rest of the domestic campaign,” an Arsenal spokesperson said.