Chelsea face an investigation over a training ground friendly melee.

The News of the World says the practice game, arranged at short notice by Chelsea on Wednesday, was abandoned after just 35 minutes amid amazing scenes. Players, coaches and officials from Chelsea's reserve team and United Arab Emirates side Al Hilal traded blows for five minutes.

Chelsea players were assaulted with karate kicks, knee-high tackles and had their hair pulled out and their eyes gouged.

Defender Jack Cork, who has since gone on loan to Coventry and sported a black eye in his new side's 1-0 defeat to Swansea, was put in a headlock and repeatedly hit.

The referee, who will not be named by the FA, has written to Soho Square with the full, astonishing details of the battle.

The scenes, which were recorded by the club's in-house TV station ChelseaTV and are now locked in a safe, were so brutal some kids fled in tears.

A stunned eye witness revealed: "There were people being chased all over the pitch, eyes were being gouged, hair was being pulled out and one of the Al Hilal players shoved his fingers up the nose of Gael Kakuta. Every player was involved but Chelsea didn't start it."