Greenwood has been suspended by United since January 2022, when he was arrested in relation to audio and images released on social media of an alleged sexual assault.
In October 2022 the striker was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Greenwood denied all the charges.
All charges against him were subsequently dropped in February by the Crown Prosecution Service. A statement said "a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction".
It had been reported that the decision on whether to reintegrate Greenwood into the squad or sack him was due to be announced before the start of the Premier League season, but when United kicked off their campaign against Wolves on Monday there was still no news.
Some fans held a protest before kick off, demanding that the club do not reinstate the striker. Two women told GOAL they would stop supporting United if Greenwood returned.
On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that United chief executive Richard Arnold had allegedly told the club's executive leadership that they were planning to bring Greenwood back into the squad. Arnold was then going to publicly announce that decision on August 4 in a video. However, the announcement was delayed.
In a statement, United denied the claims made in the report and refuted that a decision had been made on Greenwood's potential return. It read: "Following the dropping of all charges against Mason Greenwood in February 2023, Manchester United has conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations made against him.
"This has drawn on extensive evidence and context not in the public domain, and we have heard from numerous people with direct involvement or knowledge of the case. Throughout this process, the welfare and perspective of the alleged victim has been central to the club’s inquiries, and we respect her right to lifelong anonymity.
"We also have responsibilities to Mason as an employee, as a young person who has been with the club since the age of seven, and as a new father with a partner. The fact-finding phase of our investigation is now complete, and we are in the final stages of making a decision on Mason’s future.
"Contrary to media speculation, that decision has not yet been made and is currently the subject of intensive internal deliberation. Responsibility ultimately rests with the Chief Executive Officer. Once made, the decision will be communicated and explained to the club’s internal and external stakeholders.
"This has been a difficult case for everyone associated with Manchester United, and we understand the strong opinions it has provoked based on the partial evidence in the public domain. We ask for patience as we work through the final stages of this carefully considered process."
It had been reported that the reason for the delay was so that the club could consult with stakeholders including the women's team, sponsors and the supporters' board. Three members of United's women's team have just helped lead England to the Women's World Cup final and it was suggested that the announcement would not be made until they had returned.
However, Rick McGagh, United’s head of fan engagement, sought to clarify that the fans would not have any say in the decision. “It’s not accurate to say we’ve had full consultation with the fan advisory board on what decision we’re making. This is not a consultation," he told The Athletic.
United's chief operating officer Collette Roche, also speaking to The Athletic, added: “We’ve done a really detailed and thorough internal investigation and we’ve asked as many people as we can around what happened and try to understand it beyond the original investigation done by the police.
"You’d expect us to engage with people who were relevant in terms of stakeholder groups. And now we just need to make the decision. That decision is firmly a decision that’s on us."