Former Man United forward Mason Greenwood denied UK return after Marseille ‘decision’

Former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has reportedly been left out of Marseille’s squad for Saturday’s friendly match against Sunderland.

The Ligue 1 outfit are set to face the Black Cats in Bradford, Greenwood’s place of birth, but the 22-year-old will reportedly play no part in the fixture at Valley Parade.

According to Le Provence, Greenwood has suffered a muscle injury and therefore Marseille are unwilling to risk the forward, who was signed from Manchester United in a deal worth £26.6m last month.

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But even though Marseille claim Greenwood’s absence is down to injury, Le Provence reports that club chiefs could have left him out of the squad to avoid a complicated return to England.

Interestingly, Saturday’s match would have been the first time Greenwood had played on English soil since he was charged with attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behavior, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following his arrest in January 2022.

As a result, the 22-year-old was suspended by Manchester United and never played for the Reds again even after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all charges in early 2023. Greenwood resumed his playing career at Spanish side Getafe in the 2023/24 season before joining Marseille last month.

When asked about the controversial end to his United career at his Marseille unveiling last month, Greenwood said: “I understand the questions, I don’t want to talk about it too much or get into debates and controversies.

“I already spoke about it on Thursday with the supporters and I spoke about it last season. “I want to move forward, I want to be part of Olympique de Marseille.”

He added: “My intention is really to concentrate on the football part. The staff and players told me about the foundation, associations and hospital visits and like the other players I will participate in these initiatives.

“This season I will try to play well for Marseille, at the Velodrome in front of fantastic fans. I have been waiting for this for a while and I can’t wait to play in front of this crowd. For the moment I am focused on what I have to do with my club.”

Last month, the mayor of Marseille called on the French outfit not to sign Greenwood due to his “unspeakable” past behavior but that did not stop the forward from signing a five-year deal with the club.