Premier League club under pressure to suspend international footballer over rape arrest

A Premier League club is facing pressure from feminist campaigners to immediately suspend the international footballer arrested this week over the alleged rape of two women.

It is unclear whether the prominent player will have any involvement in pre-season preparations after being bailed over three claims which are said to have taken place in the last year.

However, the campaign group Object, which challenges what it describes as "sex object culture", says the player should be barred from playing while an investigation takes place.

"Of course the club should suspend him pending investigations and make a public announcement to that effect," Object said in a statement. "Without prejudicing any verdict, we know that such cases are often dropped and the likelihood of a conviction is minute and will not happen for years, if at all."

Telegraph Sport revealed on Monday how the player had been arrested in the early hours over  an alleged rape which had been said to have taken place last month. The international, who is in his late 20s and cannot be named for legal reasons, was then questioned over two further allegations of rape by a different woman last year. He was bailed on Tuesday until next month after spending around 30 hours in custody being quizzed over the three alleged attacks.

Scotland Yard said: "On 4 July, an allegation of rape of a woman in her 20s was reported to police. It was reported the alleged rape happened in June 2022. On 4 July, a 29-year-old man was arrested in North London on suspicion of rape and taken into custody.

"While in custody, he was further arrested on suspicion of two incidents of rape that were alleged to have been committed in April and June of 2021 against a different woman in her 20s. He