Featured Image Credit: Alamy/FIFA
Topics: no-article-matching, Domestic Abuse, Sport
Hannah Smith
Mason Greenwood has been removed from parts of FIFA 2022 amid allegations of domestic violence against the Manchester United forward.
Players of the video game have noticed that following a new squad update for Offline Modes released Tuesday, February 1, Greenwood no longer appears as part of the Manchester United squad, either in the starting XI or reserves databases.
He does, however, still feature on Ultimate Team, with players able to buy and sell his 78-rated card on the transfer market, while he will also remain in the squads of those playing on Career Mode.
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The new EA Sports update affects players on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. It comes after Greater Manchester Police confirmed they had been granted more time to question a 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of rape and assault on Sunday, January 30. The suspect remains in custody, however no charges have so far been brought in connection with the allegations.
In a statement, GMP said, 'Detectives have been granted additional time to speak to a man in his 20s who is being held on suspicion of rape and assault of a woman.
'Inquiries are ongoing and the victim is being offered specialist support.
'We remind people to avoid any commentary or sharing of images that could compromise the victim's right to lifelong anonymity, or risk prejudicing a live investigation with active proceedings.'
EA Sports is the latest brand to cut ties with Greenwood in the wake of the allegations, with Nike confirming earlier that it would be suspending its relationship with the 20-year-old, saying in a statement that the brand was 'deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations'.
Manchester United have also removed all merchandise involving Greenwood from its online store, while club sponsor Cadbury has confirmed that the player will not feature in any of its upcoming campaigns with United.
In a statement issued shortly before news of the arrest emerged, Manchester United confirmed that Greenwood 'will not return to training or play matches until further notice', adding that the club 'does not condone violence of any kind'.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivor’s Trust for free on 08088 010 818, or through their website thesurvivorstrust.org