Manchester United suspends star after sexual assault charge

Manchester United has suspended its forward Mason Greenwood and prohibited him from playing matches and training after he was accused of sexual assault. 

A woman accused Greenwood, a star player and regular starter for the soccer club, of assault in a social media post that included images, video and an audio recording, The New York Times reported.

Shortly after the post began trending, the club issued a statement that it was aware of the allegations and was waiting to comment until more facts were established. A few hours later, United said it would temporarily suspend the 20-year-old player, the Times added.

“Mason Greenwood will not return to training or play matches until further notice,” Manchester United said, according to the newspaper.

On Sunday, Greater Manchester Police also said they were aware of “online social media images and videos posted by a woman reporting incidents of physical violence” and that “a man in his 20s has since been arrested on suspicion of rape and assault” and was still in custody for questioning. 

Greenwood has not responded to the allegations publicly. 

Nike, which sponsors Greenwood, said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation,” the Times noted.

Greenwood graduated from United’s academy and is considered one of the Premier League’s top talents. He started playing for United at age 17 and on England’s national team at 19, the newspaper added.

The Hill has reached out to Manchester United for comment.