Antony has rejoined the Manchester United squad, making himself available for both training and matches, following his meeting with the police regarding assault allegations.
The winger had been granted a leave of absence by the club on September 10 after facing accusations of violent behaviour from his former girlfriend, Gabriela Cavallin, along with similar allegations from two other Brazilian women.
Antony, vehemently denying all allegations made against him by these three women, had been staying in Brazil but returned to Manchester on Tuesday.
He voluntarily participated in a five-hour interview with the police on Thursday, and he was subsequently released with no restrictions. Additionally, he provided evidence to support his refutation of the allegations.
Notably, the fact that Antony has not been arrested or charged in either Brazil or the UK has played a role in his reintroduction to the squad. However, the club will continue to monitor the situation closely as long as police investigations persist.
A statement from United on Friday read: “Since allegations were first made in June, Antony has cooperated with police inquiries in both Brazil and the UK, and he continues to do so.
“As Antony’s employer, Manchester United has decided that he will resume training at Carrington, and be available for selection, while police inquiries proceed. This will be kept under review pending further developments in the case.
“As a club we condemn acts of violence and abuse. We recognise the importance of safeguarding all those involved in this situation, and acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse.”
Antony is scheduled to participate in training on Friday and may be in contention to play against Crystal Palace in the upcoming Premier League match on Saturday.
Antony, who was signed by Manchester United from Ajax for a hefty £85 million ($104 million), initially faced allegations of violent behavior from Gabriela Cavallin back in June. At that time, Cavallin filed a police complaint against him in Sao Paulo.
The club remained silent regarding the allegations, and Antony continued with pre-season training and participated in Manchester United’s tour of the United States. He even featured in all four of the team’s opening Premier League matches.
However, his situation took a turn when he joined the Brazilian national team for their World Cup qualifiers in September. He was subsequently removed from the squad after Cavallin gave an interview to the Brazilian website UOL, providing further details about the accusations.
She claimed that Antony had headbutted her and pushed her in one instance, resulting in the dislocation of one of her breast implants.
She also alleged that during the summer of 2022 in Brazil, Antony had threatened to eject her from a moving car, and in May 2023, he had thrown a glass at her, causing a cut to her finger.
In addition to Cavallin’s accusations, businesswoman Ingrid Lana claimed that Antony had invited her to England in September 2022 and had physically assaulted her by grabbing her, pushing her against a wall, and attempting to kiss her.
Another woman, Rayssa De Freitas, asserted that she had filed a complaint with Sao Paulo Civil Police in May 2022, three months before Antony’s transfer to United, alleging that she had been attacked by Antony and required hospital treatment following an altercation in a car after a night out in Brazil.
Manchester United is expected to face criticism for reintegrating Antony into the team, especially in light of concerns expressed by several charities when the allegations initially surfaced.
These organizations urged the club to remove the player from the squad.
The club had previously drawn widespread criticism for considering the return of Mason Greenwood to the squad after charges of attempted rape, assault, and coercive and controlling behavior against the striker were dropped.
Greenwood has since embarked on a loan to Getafe and started in their 2-2 draw against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.