Benjamin Mendy to appear in court on Friday to set date of trial

The Manchester City defender has been charged with four counts of rape

Benjamin Mendy is set to appear before a court today, where it is expected that the date of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault will be set. According to Get French Football News, citing L'Equipe, the court appearance will take place at 2pm local time, and will include a “plea and trial preparation hearing”. The Manchester City left-back, who was suspended by the club in August and will remain suspended until the conclusion of the legal proceedings. The France international faces four counts of rape. The incidents all relate to three women over the age of 16, with three of the alleged attacks taking place in October 2020, and the fourth allegedly taking place just last week. One of the women is under 18. The 27-year-old also faces one count of sexual assault. On September 1, at a behind-closed-doors hearing at Chester Crown Court, Mendy was refused bail by His Honour Judge Steven Everett, as he had broken prior bail conditions which had been imposed. Since he was charged, he has been remanded in custody in HMP Altcourse, Liverpool. Mendy joined City in 2017 from AS Monaco and has been a peripheral figure for the majority of his time at the club.