Another major blow for Erik ten Hag and Man United ahead of Brighton

Manchester United winger Antony has denied accusations of physical aggression towards his former girlfriend, which have seen him dropped from the Brazil squad.

Manchester United had no comment on the matter when contacted by the PA news agency on Monday evening and it’s unclear at this stage if head coach Erik ten Hag will continue to pick Antony, who signed for United from Ajax in an £85.5million deal in September 2022. The Premier League is currently paused during the international break and United return to action on September 16 against Brighton at Old Trafford.

Following the emergence of the allegations, Brazil confirmed Antony had been withdrawn from the squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru, with Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus called up as a replacement.

“Due to the facts that became public this Monday, involving striker Antony, from Manchester United, and which need to be investigated, and in order to preserve the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian team and the CBF, the entity informs that the athlete has been withdrawn from the Brazilian team,” a statement from the Brazilian Football Confederation read.

In an interview with Brazilian website UOL – which also published photographs and screenshots of messages between the pair – Gabriela Cavallin claims she was attacked by Antony “with a headbutt” in a Manchester hotel room on January 15, leaving her with a cut head which needed treatment from a doctor.

Cavallin, a social media influencer, also alleges she was punched in the chest by Antony, which she claims caused damage to a silicone breast implant which required corrective surgery back in Brazil.

Writing on Instagram, Antony protested his innocence in response to what he called “false accusations”.

“Out of respect for my fans, friends and family, I feel obliged to speak out publicly about the false accusations I have been the victim of,” Antony said.

“I can calmly state that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and the other evidence that will be produced demonstrate that I am innocent of the accusations made.”

In a statement to Telegraph Sport, Great Manchester Police said: “Greater Manchester Police is aware of the allegations made and enquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this report. We will not be commenting any further at this time.”