Mason Greenwood becomes Manchester United outcast after rape, assault allegations

Manchester United players have been quick to distance themselves from teammate Mason Greenwood after the latter was arrested on suspicion of rape and grievous bodily harm. The England and Man United striker spent Sunday evening in police custody after his girlfriend, Harriet Robson, shared photos and voice recordings on social media accusing him of abuse.

Following the arrest, Cristiano Ronaldo was the first player to unfollow Greenwood on social media. According to Marca, other United players soon followed suit. Jesse Lingard, David de Gea, Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Scott McTominay also unfollowed the 20-year-old in popular social media platform, Instagram.

The club's official social media accounts still follow Greenwood, but Manchester United were also quick to release a statement on Sunday saying that the player will not return to training nor competitive action "until further notice," presumably until after the case is resolved.

The player has effectively been suspended while he deals with the accusations that have been lodged against him. Greenwood's social media followers will be the least of his concerns for now, as he deals with the legal ramifications of Robson's posts.

Ironically, this whole situation was also triggered by social media. The police were alerted to the alleged abuse through social media posts by Greenwood's girlfriend, where she shared photos of bruises on her body which she blames on the footballer.

Greater Manchester Police quickly found out about the posts and proceeded to investigate. Greenwood was subsequently brought in for questioning, and it remains to be seen how the case will progress. The police also urged members of the public to report directly to authorities if they become victims or become aware of domestic abuse cases and other crimes.

In not so many words, it has become a social media trial, and the police are urging the public to let law enforcement handle the complaints with due process. Manchester United were quick to suspend Greenwood, but it remains to be seen what actions will be taken by the club when the final outcome of the case is revealed.