Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas escaped unhurt despite suffering a huge crash in his Mercedes SL500 while on way to training - with some news agencies reporting that he was checking the latest european football scores at the time.

According to The Sun, Fabregas, 23, had been driving 15 miles from his home in Hampstead, North London, to the Gunners' training ground at London Colney, near St Albans, Hertfordshire.

But he fell foul of a 50 mph stretch of the A41 near Edgware, just before road works reduced three lanes to two.

He appeared not to spot traffic slowing ahead of him, and found it was too late to pass and ended up shooting straight into the back of an Audi A3.