Manchester United deny covering up Antony abuse allegations

Manchester United have firmly denied accusations that they attempted to cover up allegations of abuse from Brazilian forward Antony towards his ex-partner.

The 23-year-old has been dropped from the Brazil squad due to the allegations made by Gabriela Cavallin, and Man United released a statement on Wednesday acknowledging the situation.

"Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the Police are conducting enquiries," read the statement from the 20-time English champions on Wednesday.

"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."

Cavallin has claimed, among other incidents, that Antony assaulted her in a Manchester hotel room earlier this year, which caused her to suffer a cut to her head and damage a breast implant.

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She told UOL of the incident: "I don't remember exactly who the fight was about, but it was someone I had been with years ago. He punched me in the chest and my silicone [implant] turned over.

"Then I came to Brazil for surgery to change the prosthesis. He said: "I didn't mean to hurt you, it was accidental, it wasn't a punch, I just pushed you, I just held you against the wall."

Cavallin and her lawyers are claiming that Man United sent a player support officer to the hotel in question, with a club doctor also being called in order to prevent her from going to hospital.

However, the 20-time English champions have branded suggestions of a cover-up "categorically false".

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"Any suggestion that the club covered-up these allegations is categorically false," The Mirror quotes a representative of the club as saying.

Man United are believed to have acknowledged that a private doctor did visit the individual at the hotel, which is common, but there were no indications that the injuries suffered were from an assault from Antony.

There have been calls for the Red Devils to suspend the forward while the police conduct their investigations, but as it stands, he will be available for the team's next game against Brighton & Hove Albion on September 16.

Antony has firmly denied any form of physical violence towards his former partner but accepted in a statement that their relationship "was tumultuous, with verbal offences from both sides".