Fighting talk: United boss Fergie and FA inquest into pitch battle against Chelsea at the Bridge

The FA and Premier League are also beginning their enquiries into the scenes that saw defender Patrice Evra and United team-mates fighting with Chelsea groundsman Sam Bethell on the Stamford Bridge pitch as they warmed down following the London club's 2-1 win on Saturday.

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FA spokesman Andrin Cooper said: "We will be looking into this incident and will gather all the relevant information, including asking Chelsea to provide us with the CCTV footage."

Sportsmail understands United manager Ferguson will speak to all the players and staff involved. Reports from France yesterday suggested Evra may have been the target of a racist comment but Chelsea vigorously denied claims of such undertones and United said he had not made any complaint to his English-based agent.

United striker Carlos Tevez, who was not involved in the altercation, said:"During our post-match work, Evra received an insult from a Chelsea worker and my team-mates merely demanded an explanation. This was the problem and from that moment these men just wanted to attack Patrice.

"Obviously it's normal that we defend our team-mate but within a few seconds all the United players were surrounded by stewards. I think the security cameras will show the provocation we received. I have never seen anything like this in my two years in England. We will happily give our version of what happened."

Violence erupted about 10 minutes after the ground emptied as Evra, Paul Scholes, Ji-sung Park, John O'Shea, Gerard Pique, Danny Wellbeck and Gary Neville were put through some gentle training drills.

It is understood that United players took exception to being told they could not run on a muddy part of the pitch, even though Premier League rules say the playing surface must be made available to the opposition.

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A heated exchange then took place, during which one United player allegedly abused Chelsea's head groundsman and a member of the Stamford Bridge groundstaff told O'Shea: 'I'll stick my pitchfork up your a**e.' Photographs showed Evra trading blows with Bethell, 23.

United have asked for a copy of Chelsea's CCTV footage. Both clubs are likely to be fined if an FA probe proves staff or players were to blame. Bethell said: "It was handbags. I've not lost my job."

Despite an incident-packed game, it was the activity off the field that grabbed the headlines. United defender and England captain-elect Rio Ferdinand admitted kicking a female Chelsea steward on the shin as he tried to take out his frustration on the door to a TV interview room in the players' tunnel.

Ferdinand was aiming at the door but caught the woman with his foot. He came out of the dressing room to apologise and has sent her flowers. She is believed to have taken the apology in good heart.

The FA will not investigate this incident and match referee Alan Wiley last night confirmed that neither moment of controversy will feature in his match report.

Wiley said: "With me being in the changing room I didn't know anything about what might have happened after the match until I saw Match of the Day. The security people said they had nothing to report to me. The players from both teams worked really well with me."

United were aggrieved about the award of Michael Ballack's match-winning penalty, with Ferguson calling it 'diabolical'. But Wiley added: "If there is a penalty shout, the team on the receiving end will be disappointed. But if they sit down and look at it they'll accept that it was a penalty."