By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-23 18:57:07 | Updated at 2026-06-23 20:28:29
1 hour ago
England will let their players decide whether to shake hands with the Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who is facing rape charges.
The Three Lions are set to come face to face with the former Arsenal man, who denies a series of allegations, in Boston on Tuesday.
However, they will be left to make their own verdict on whether to carry out the customary pre-match gesture with the 33-year-old, Daily Mail Sport understands, with the FA keen to keep the focus on football.
Partey is in line to make his World Cup debut on Tuesday after he was banned from entering Canada ahead of his country’s first match against Panama.
Officials there turned down an appeal at a hearing where it emerged that details of the charges had not been declared in his application for a visa.
Partey is due to stand trial in London on seven counts of rape and one of sexual assault. A start date of June 7 next year has been pencilled in at Southwark Crown Court.
It will be interesting to see what the England stars decide to do.
