Manchester City player faces Macclesfield rape charges

Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has appeared in court to face two further charges of rape.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court was told the charges related to alleged attacks in Macclesfield in July and August.

Mr Mendy, who was wearing a cream sweatshirt and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth, appeared via video-link and remains in custody.

In August, the 27-year-old, of Prestbury, was charged with four counts of rape and one of sexual assault.

Those previous charges related to alleged attacks on three women over the age of 16 at Mr Mendy’s home between October 2020 and August 2021.

The France international, who has been in custody since August after a number of bail applications were refused by judges, has played for Manchester City since 2017, when he joined from Monaco for a reported £52m.

He was suspended by the club after being charged by police, pending an investigation.

Mr Mendy appeared alongside co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie, who has also been charged with two additional counts of rape and one of sexual assault.

The 40-year-old from Eccles has been accused of sexually touching a woman in Sheffield in 2016, raping a woman in March this year and another count of rape in Macclesfield in July.

He was previously charged with four counts of rape in relation to alleged attacks between March 2021 and August 2021.

The case was sent to Chester Crown Court to be heard on Thursday morning.