Manchester United have released a club statement saying that their Brazilian winger Antony will be joining their first squad until there is any ‘further development’ in his case. Antony was accused of domestic violence by his girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin. He was further accused of molestation by two other females.
Antony denied these allegations, but he was charged and investigated by the police. After the accusations, Manchester United took strict action against Antony as assault accusations surfaced against the attacker. He had already been dropped by the Brazilian national team by then for these accusations. Later Manchester United also sent him on a leave on ‘mutual agreement’.
🚨 BREAKING: Antony back to training and available for selection, Manchester United statement confirms.
“Since allegations were first made in June, Antony has co-operated with police inquiries in both Brazil and the UK, and he continues to do so”.
“As Antony’s employer,… pic.twitter.com/rD0P4HLlVv
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 29, 2023
Antony is confronting a few allegations of hostility toward his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin. She had addressed the Brazilian outlet UOL in September. The winger has denied those charges, as well as additional attack claims made by Rayssa de Freitas and Ingrid Lana.
The 23-year-old got back to the UK from Brazil on Tuesday and willfully went to a meeting with police and spent 5 hours answering questions in Manchester on Thursday. Investigations are progressing however as Antony has not been accused of an offense in Brazil or the UK, United has concluded he can rejoin the crew.
🔴 Ten Hag on Antony: “He will return to training on Saturday”.
“We make the statement so I refer to the statement, everything has been made clear in the statement. We will focus on the games. He will do as well”. pic.twitter.com/NhnIq5zmru
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 29, 2023
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag said Antony will return to training this weekend. It appears that his late return rules him out of Saturday’s league match against Crystal Palace.
Upon Antony’s return to Manchester United’s main squad, fans have shared their views. One fan welcomed Antony to the United squad, showing that they had missed Antony on the field very much.
Another fan wrote that if Antony is proven to be innocent, the women who have accused him should be punished. As Antony has been criticized sometimes over his infamous ‘Antony Spin‘, a fan wrote, “I never knew I’d miss a fidget spinner this badly“.
Antony’s return to training signifies an opportunity for growth and contribution to their upcoming matches. It’s a positive step forward for both the player and the club. Fans can look forward to seeing him back in action soon.
The tactical reason behind Manchester United calling back Antony
Manchester United have been suffering this season. They have been on a poor run. After English forward Jadon Sancho was exiled from the club, the club’s forward line was thinned.
After both of these wingers were unavailable, ten Hag was forced to field a weaker lineup. It did affect their results as United currently sits in the 9th position in the Premier League table with 3 wins and 3 losses in 6 matches.
The game against Crystal Palace tomorrow is a must-win for us. Some Manchester United fans think it’ll be an easy win like the mid-week game, but playing in the Carabao Cup is different from the Premier League. It won’t be easy tomorrow, and we all know it. With Tottenham playing… pic.twitter.com/nJvBqCjnMD
— Kara (@UTDKara) September 29, 2023
United are set to face Galatasaray in their next Champions League fixture at the Old Trafford. ten Hag would look to strengthen the playing 11 with the inclusion of Antony. As the soccer season is still to unfold to its potential, the return of Antony is supposed to bring firepower to the Manchester United team, which has looked blunt in the last few matches.
