'He has to deal with that' - Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag believes winger Antony has been 'impacted' by domestic abuse allegations amid ongoing police investigation

Ten Hag has admitted Antony is being negatively impacted by the accusations against him that remain part of an ongoing police investigation. But the United boss also underlined that the issues are of the player's own making and that he must do more, albeit with support of the club, to recapture his best form.

Ten Hag told a press conference: "I think his off-field issues stop him playing. They have had an impact on him, definitely, so he has to deal with that. So he caused them, so he has to sort them out. We will give him all the support but he has to do better.

"First year he was okay. In the pre-season he was very okay, first four games [of this season] he was very good.But from the moment he was out and then he came back, he didn't deliver the performance we should expect from him and he can do so much better.

"His end product in Ajax was very high and he could return to that level. The Premier League is more difficult but he's capable of doing that."

Antony was first publicly accused of assault by ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin when her allegations were published by Brazilian news outlet UOL in early September. Rayssa de Freitas and Ingrid Lana later made their own additional allegations about the winger, who has strongly denied the accusations against him.

The 23-year-old, who has not been arrested or charged at this stage and has voluntarily spoken to Greater Manchester Police to assist with their investigation, was dropped from the Brazil squad when Cavallin went public and given a temporary leave of absence by United. He returned to training at the end of September and was back on the pitch a few days later. But in 21 appearances across three competitions so far this season, Antony is yet to register a single goal or assist.

Antony was absent from last Monday's FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic with a minor hamstring injury but has been passed fit to face Tottenham on Sunday and will likely continue to be picked, when available, by a manager who saw the best of him first-hand at Ajax. The onus is on the Brazilian to regain some form to justify the £86 million ($110m) transfer fee attached to his name, but the open police investigation makes it difficult to know just what his future holds. There are also rumours that he could be sold as part of a squad refresh.