Manchester City have suspended Benjamin Mendy after he was charged by police today on four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The charges were made public by Cheshire Police on Thursday and City suspended the defender in light of the news.
They said that the charges relate to three complainants, over the age of 16 and are alleged to have taken place between last October and this month.
A police spokesman said: “Cheshire Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service would like to remind everyone that criminal proceedings against Mendy are live and that he has a right to a fair trial.”
The 27-year-old is due to appear in court on Friday following the charges and is currently being remanded in custody before his appearance at Chester Magistrates’ Court, police said.
Mendy has made 75 appearances for the club and has played once this season – a 79-minute showing against Tottenham Hotspur on the opening weekend.
The Frenchman has also played 10 times for his country and was part of their World Cup winning squad in 2018.
City have released a club statement on their decision to suspend the left-back.
In a statement, Manchester City said: “Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation.
“The matter is subject to a legal process and the club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete.”
