CHELSEA HAVE REFUSED to comment on reports that defender Ashley Cole injured a 21-year-old work experience student when he accidentally shot him with an air rifle from close range.

According to a story in today’s News of the World, Cole had brought the .22 gun with him to training at the club’s Cobham training facility last Sunday.

Cole was unaware that the gun was loaded when it went off five feet away from Tom Cowan, a sports science student from Loughborough University who is currently on placement with the club.

A source told the News of the World that “Ashley pulled the rifle from a box and started larking about with it in the changing room, not realising it was loaded.”

It ended up pointed at Tom just five feet away.

The gun went off with a loud pop and Tom screamed as this lead pellet hit him in the side. It went through his clothing and into his flesh.

In response to the reports, Chelsea have issued a simple statement declaring that “we never comment on internal matters.”

Read more about the incident in the print edition of today’s News of the World >