Deja vu at Old Trafford

Manchester United has issued a statement acknowledging the allegations made against Antony, with investigations currently underway regarding claims of assault brought forward by his former girlfriend in both England and Brazil.

The alleged victim, Gabriela Cavallin, provided an interview to the Brazilian website UOL on Monday, where she detailed the allegations and presented photographs and message screenshots as evidence. According to Cavallin, she alleges that Antony headbutted and punched her in a Manchester hotel room on 14 January, a day after Manchester United's 2-1 victory against Manchester City. This incident is currently under investigation by Greater Manchester Police. Additionally, she claims to have suffered a finger injury during an incident on 8 May, which the Sao Paulo Civil Police are also examining in Brazil.

Manchester United, after maintaining silence on the matter, issued a statement on Wednesday, stating that they are awaiting further information as the investigations proceed.

"Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the Police are conducting enquiries. Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments. As a club we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse."

Manchester United has not provided confirmation regarding Antony's availability for selection, but it is widely anticipated that he will continue to be part of Erik Ten Hag's squad, at least for the time being.

After Greenwood, Antony is the next one accused of domestic violence

The pressure on Manchester United has escalated following the decision by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to exclude the 23-year-old from the Brazil squad for this week's World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru. Previously, when questioned about the matter, the club had referred to the player's own denials on social media without further comment.

"Due to the facts that became public this Monday involving Manchester United player Antony, and which need to be investigated, and in order to safeguard the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian team and the CBF, the organisation informs that the athlete has been withdrawn from the Brazilian team."

There is a strong sense of deja vu regarding the latest chain of events. It's all painfully akin to what happened with Mason Greenwood over a year ago. And we all know how that ended.