As a result of concerns of a “complicated return,” Mason Greenwood is not included in Marseille’s travelling squad for their match against England.

In the preseason friendly that will take place this afternoon between Olympique Marseille and Sunderland, Mason Greenwood has been left out of the players that will be travelling with the team.

The former Manchester United attacker would have been able to play in England for the first time since he was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault causing actual bodily harm in 2022. If he had made the journey, he would have been able to play in England.

After the major witnesses withdrew their participation from the case in 2023, the charges were eventually withdrawn. Following this, United decided to conduct their own internal investigation for a period of six months in order to acquire some clarity on how the allegations came to light.

Unfortunately, the conclusion of their investigation was that Greenwood would be loaned to Getafe for the whole of the 2023/2024 season. There were arrangements in place for United chiefs to reintegrate the player into the first-team at Old Trafford, according to a comprehensive investigation by The Athletic. However, after a widespread outcry from fans and public figures, they suddenly changed their minds and decided not to do so.

Since then, the 22-year-old player has successfully finalised a permanent transfer to Marseille. Marseille was able to secure his signature after competitors such as Juventus, Napoli, and Lazio were unsuccessful in their pursuit of him. He has already made his debut for the French club in a pre-season match.

The city of Marseille is unwilling to take the chance of Greenwood’s hostile return.
Nevertheless, he will not be going back to Bradford, the city where he was born, along with his new colleagues this coming weekend. Greenwood is said to have sustained a “muscle lesion,” according to La Provence, which was cited by GFFN. The club is concerned that by playing against the Black Cats, the injury will become much more severe.

However, it is reported by the publication that his absence is actually owing to concerns of a “complicated return” to England – which is quite a surprise. The fact that Marseille did not do well enough to qualify for any European tournament during the previous season means that he will be playing exclusively in France for the upcoming season; yet, he will not be able to postpone that dreaded return to France forever.