Former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has been excluded from Marseille's squad for their friendly against Sunderland.
Greenwood joined the Ligue 1 club last month from United for a fee of £26.6 million ($34m) and his contract runs until June 2029 and includes a 50 per cent sell-on clause.
The game is set to take place in Bradford—Greenwood's birthplace—at Valley Parade but will not see the Englishman take to the field.
All the latest EPL club news | Team-by-team Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
Mason Greenwood reportedly injured ahead of preseason clash with Sunderland
According to Le Provence, the 22-year-old is dealing with a muscle injury and that is the reason why Marseille have not included him in the trip to England.
Although Marseille attributes Greenwood's absence to the injury, the French outlet suggests that club officials might have opted to leave him out to avoid potential complications on his return to England.
This match would have been Greenwood's first appearance on English soil since he was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behavior and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following his arrest in January 2022.
After these charges led to his suspension by Manchester United, Greenwood never returned to play for the club, even after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all charges in early 2023.
He resumed his career on loan with Spanish side Getafe in the 2023/24 season before moving to Marseille.
𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫 🌅 🏜️
— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) July 20, 2024
Go behind the scenes of Mason Greenwood’s unveiling at Les Goudes, and his first impressions 🏴
⚪️🔵
pic.twitter.com/UwT103gRfN
At his Marseille unveiling, Greenwood addressed the controversy surrounding his departure from United, stating: “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.
"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," he added.
“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.”
Marseille's mayor, Benoit Payan, publicly opposed the signing citing the previous domestic violence allegations against Greenwood, including social media posts by his partner featuring photo and audio evidence.
He told RMC Sport: "Greenwood's behaviour is unspeakable, unacceptable. Hitting his wife… I saw images that deeply shocked me. Abusing his wife in this way is unbecoming of a man and he cannot have his place on this team.
"The values of OM and Marseille are anything but that in fact. It's a shame. I don't want my club to be covered with the shame of someone who hits his wife. Olympique de Marseille is more than a club. It is a spirit, and there is no place for those who behave in this way, for those who commit this kind of crime and offence.”
Despite this opposition, new coach Roberto De Zerbi expressed his willingness to support Greenwood as he joined the team.
