Erik ten Hag confirms whether Antony will be available for Manchester United against Galatasaray
Manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Antony could return to the pitch for Manchester United on Tuesday (October 3) against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League.
The Brazilian was out of the squad for almost a month, as was cooperating with the police following the domestic abuse case against him by his former partner.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Champions League clash against Galatasaray, Ten Hag said that Antony has rejoined training. He added that the Brazilian is in contention to play:
"Antony will be considered (to play tomorrow). Yesterday was the first time he participated in team training."
Antony returned to England last week but missed the home league defeat (1-0) to Crystal Palace. Ten Hag spoke about his forward ahead of the game:
"We make the statement, so I refer to the statement. Everything has been made clear in the statement. No, I don't think (Antony's return) is a distraction. We will focus on the games. He will do as well. I think we explained it in the statement, so I will refer to it."
He added:
"He will return to training on Saturday."
Ten Hag has said that Manchester United will continue picking Antony as long as he's not charged by the police.
What have Manchester United said about Antony
Manchester United confirmed last week that Antony was back in training. They added that the forward was cooperating with the police in Brazil and the United Kingdom.
The Red Devils added that they're keeping tabs on the situation:
"Since allegations were first made in June, Antony has co-operated 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."
It continued:
"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 last played for United on September 3, when they lost 3-1 at Arsenal in the league. The Brazilian has scored four goals and assisted twice in 25 Premier League appearances.