Benjamin Mendy has been charged with a further count of rape.

The Manchester City defender had already been charged with six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault and has been held in custody since his arrest in August.

Mendy was charged initially by Cheshire Constabulary in relation to alleged attacks between October 2020 and August 2021.

In November, he was charged with two additional counts of rape, alleged to have taken place in the same timespan.

On Wednesday, Mendy, along with co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, appeared at Chester Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing.

That court appearance resulted in reporting restrictions on the new charge, which was made earlier in December, being lifted.