Manchester City star Benjamin Mendy denied bail AGAIN as he awaits trial for rape and sexual assault

Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been denied bail for a third time as he awaits trial following his August arrest over a litany of rape and sexual assault allegations.

Mendy, 27, was charged with three counts of rape linked to an alleged incident which took place in October 2020, the sexual assault of a woman in January 2021 and a separate charge of rape from August.

The 10-cap France international, who joined City in 2017 for a then-world record fee for a defender of around $71 million and has been in police custody for the past seven weeks, is being held on remand at HMP Altcourse, Liverpool.

He has again been denied a bail application following a 50-minute hearing at Chester Crown Court.

Mendy hasn't yet entered a plea to the charges against him ahead of a trial date set for January 24.

The attacks are alleged to have occurred against three women, one of whom was under the age of 18. All are said to have occurred at the footballer's home in Prestbury, Cheshire.

Mendy was suspended by his club after he was charged by police, with City chiefs promising a full internal investigation into the matter.

"Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation," the Premier League champions said in August.

"The matter is subject to a legal process and the Club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete."

Another man, Louis Saha Matturie, who is an alleged associate of Mendy, is also charged with four counts of rape.

HMP Altcourse, where Mendy is being held, is known for being a 'tough' prison – with Mendy's stay there described as "sobering" by a source quoted by The Sun.

The outlet also stated last month that Mendy was falsely under the impression that he would be staying at a 'VIP wing' of the prison intended for celebrities, and that the footballer was shocked when he realized his error.

"When Mendy arrived, staff explained he was going to be kept on the VP wing for his own safety," said the source.

"But – perhaps because he is French and his English isn’t great – he misunderstood what they had said and thought he was being taken to a VIP wing for celebrities. He wasn’t happy and it was a very sobering experience for him."

Lawyers for Mendy stated at a prior hearing that their client "strenuously denies" all ofthe allegations against him.