Football Manager confirms Mason Greenwood’s return to the game

Football Manager 23 developers Sports Interactive have confirmed that shamed Manchester United star Mason Greenwood will be returning to the game as he returns to active play.

Greenwood, 21 years old at the time of writing, was arrested on January 30, 2022, after a series of social media posts came to light, after which he was tried in court for attempted rape, coercive control, and assault, denying all of the offences.

He was then promptly removed from Football Manager in February 2022, and ever since he has been under investigation, both in the criminal court and by Manchester United, as they sought to bring the ordeal to a fair conclusion.

Criminal proceedings against Greenwood were dropped in February 2023, after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction,” as key witnesses withdrew their cooperation.

Greenwood added back to Football Manager

Since then, Greenwood has had a child with his girlfriend and been sent on loan to Spanish La Liga outfit Getafe, following which he is set to be added back into the football management simulator.

In a statement to The Athletic, Sports Interactive said: “Players or officials serving indefinite suspensions from football, for any reason, are removed from Football Manager at the first opportunity. When suspensions or playing restrictions are lifted, the player or official will be reinstated in-game at the next scheduled update.”

At the time of writing, it is unclear when the next scheduled Football Manager 23 update will be, with no clear pattern as to how Sports Interactive updates the game.

FM23 released in November, 2022, though, so we should definitely expect to see the footballer in FM24 should that also release in November of this year.

Greenwood is in line to make his Getafe debut after the international break, with the club’s next fixture to take place at home against Osasuna on Sunday, September 17.