FA Investigates Chelsea's Clattenburg Claims

The FA has launched an investigation into claims a referee used "inappropriate language" towards two Chelsea players during a match with Manchester United.

Mark Clattenburg aggrieved Chelsea by sending off two of their players and allowing an offside United goal in Chelsea's 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested Mr Clattenburg used a racial insult towards Chelsea's Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel.

The other player involved is reported to be Spanish midfielder Juan Mata.

"The FA has begun an investigation relating to allegations made following Sunday's fixture at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Manchester United," read a statement from the FA.

"The FA will make no further comment at this time."

A Chelsea spokesman said: "We have lodged a complaint to the Premier League match delegate with regards to inappropriate language used by the referee and directed at two of our players in two separate incidents in today's (Sunday's) match.

"The match delegate will pass the complaint to the Football Association. We will make no further comment at this time."

Mr Clattenburg, 37, has vowed to co-operate with any investigation.

The Professional Game Match Officials body, which manages officials in the Premier League, has said Mr Clattenburg will not officiate a match this weekend.

"With any football match, the focus should not be on the officials but on the players and the game itself," the organisation said.

The referees' union Prospect has said it is "offering full support" to Mr Clattenburg.

"Prospect is committed to helping to eradicate racism in football and in society generally," said national secretary Alan Leighton.

"In the context of that commitment, Prospect is offering full support to Mark Clattenburg in relation to the allegations made against him. It is now important that the allegations are fully investigated through the proper process as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police is considering a complaint about an incident in which a steward was injured towards the end of Sunday's game.

Chelsea have already launched their own inquiry, after reports that the steward fell as home fans threw objects onto the pitch in the aftermath of Javier Hernandez's winning goal for United.

The hotly-anticipated match between two of the Premier League's top three sides was eventful.

Chelsea had two players controversially sent off including striker Fernando Torres, who was dismissed for a second yellow card after allegedly diving.

All of the referee's conversations during the game would have been audible to his two assistants Michael McDonough and Simon Long as well as the fourth official Michael Jones, who are all connected by audio headsets. However, the audio itself is not recorded.

Mr Clattenburg is regarded by Fifa - the sport's world governing body - as one of the top officials in the game.

At the Olympics, he was chosen to referee the final between Brazil and Mexico, and he is expected to be put forward to be part of the English representation at the 2014 World Cup.