CHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy will go on trial in January accused of raping two women and sexually assaulting a third alleged victim.
Mendy spoke only to confirm his name during a 45-minute hearing at a court in Chester, northwest England, on Friday.
A date of Jan. 24 was set for his trial. He is accused of four counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
The 27-year-old Mendy, a France international, listened to proceedings translated to him via a French interpreter sat behind him in the dock. The charges were not put to him and no pleas were entered during the hearing, which dealt largely with administrative matters ahead of the trial.
A further hearing will be held on Nov. 15. Eleanor Laws, defending Mendy, said there would be an application to dismiss the charges on that date.
The alleged attacks, on three different women including one under 18, are said to have happened at his home address.
Mendy was charged on Aug. 26 with three counts of rape relating to an alleged incident in October, and with the sexual assault of a woman in early January this year.
He is also charged with raping a woman last month.
Mendy was refused bail last month and is currently in a prison in Liverpool.
Mendy has been suspended by City pending an investigation.
He joined City from Monaco in 2017 and has won the Premier League three times and the English League Cup twice.
He played against Tottenham on the league’s opening weekend.
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