Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy pleads not guilty to eighth count of rape

Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has pleaded not guilty to a further rape charge at the start of his 15-week trial today.

The 28-year-old Frenchman is accused of eight counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape, relating to seven young women.

Mendy previously denied the other nine charges and entered a not guilty plea regarding the rape of woman today, which was added to the case in June.

He is alleged to have carried out his attacks between October 2018 and August last year.

The latest count was said by prosecutors to have been carried out in July 2021 while Mendy was on police bail following his arrest in November 2020.

One of the alleged offences was also carried out on August 23 – three days before he was charged, the court heard.

The former star defender arrived at Chester Crown Court this morning at around 9.45 am dressed in a navy suit, stripped tie and clean white shirt.

Harry Redknapp rates Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham's title chances

'They'd still get beat!' — Not even Pep Guardiola would save Man United, says Steve Nicol

Ian Wright and Alan Shearer send transfer message to Chelsea owners after Everton win

And he later appeared in the court’s dock, with his co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, 40, where Judge Steven Everett set out the details of the expected 15-week hearing.

The court heard that the jury will be sworn in today, with the prosecution scheduled to open the case on Monday.

His co-accused, Matturie, denies eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault, relating to eight young women.

Mendy was purchased by Manchester City Football Club for a reported figure of £52million in July 2017.

But after allegations of serious sexual assaults emerged and he was