Javier Mascherano is known to have a short fuse but even that would not explain a bizarre incident in last night's World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Ecuador.

The Barcelona midfielder was being stretchered off the pitch for a treatment on the sideline when water appeared to be sprayed at him.

However the ex-Liverpool man appeared to lash out at the stretcher carrier in front of him, sparking a melee on the sideline which saw Mascherano dragged away from the scene by his team-mate Ezequiel Lavezzi after the referee had flashed a red card at him.

Unlike modern footballers, the stretcher carrier resisted the urge to fall to ground and roll around as if he had been taken out with a bow and arrow rather than a petty kick.

The game ended 1 - 1 and Argentina have moved closer to sealing qualification for next year's World Cup, while Ecuador remain well in the mix for one of the four automatic places.