Antony could return for Man United vs. Galatasaray amid assault allegations

Antony could feature in Manchester United’s Champions League match against Galatasaray on Tuesday.

“Antony will be in consideration,” Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said Monday. “Yesterday was his first time in team training. We have a final training (session) and then we’ll make a decision. But he will be in consideration.”

The Brazilian winger hasn’t featured for the club since Sept. 3. He was on a leave of absence from Sept. 10 following allegations of assault from former partner Gabriela Cavallin and two more women, but he returned to United’s training ground Saturday, according to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell.

He was then pictured training with teammates at the club’s Carrington base on Sunday and Monday.

Cavallin said Antony assaulted her on several occasions and threatened to kill her between June 2022 and May 2023. Days after Cavallin talked to the media, Rayssa de Freitas said she required hospital treatment after the Manchester United player attacked her in May 2002. Ingrid Lana said Antony physically assaulted her in October 2022 after she resisted pressure to have sex.

Antony vowed to prove his innocence on Brazilian television, saying: “I have never attacked and I never will attack. I’m sure I never committed physical violence. Verbal violence … I offended (Cavallin), and she offended me, too. It was on both sides. Physical violence, never.”

Manchester United insisted they were taking the allegations made against Antony “seriously” before putting the former Ajax winger on a leave of absence.

Antony returned to England from Brazil last Wednesday and was expected to meet with Greater Manchester Police to discuss the allegations of assault. He hasn’t been arrested or charged in either Brazil or the United Kingdom.