Harry Maguire Pleads 'Not Guilty' & Is Free to Return to England Following Arrest

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has pleaded 'not guilty' in court following his recent arrest in Greece and is now free to return to England - with the trial postponed until Tuesday and the Englishman not obliged to be present.

Maguire testified before a prosecutor after being detained for his part in a brawl with other holiday-goers on Thursday night, which led to the defender and two friends also fighting with police.

They were accused of "violence against officials, disobedience, bodily harm, insult and attempted bribery of an official" after matters escalated on a night out on the island of Mykonos - with new information coming to light that his sister Daisy was stabbed in the arm with a sharp object.

Following his appearance in court, Man Utd have released a statement (as quoted by BBC Sport), revealing that Maguire has pleaded 'not guilty' to the charges and will now wait for a final decision.

Proto Thema report that the trial has been postponed until Tuesday, with Maguire not required to be present. As a result, the group are free to return to England if they wish, although the Greek media are suggesting Maguire could be made to return to Mykonos to make an apology. Tuesday's hearing will take place in front of a three-member panel, who will decide what the charges should be.

Maguire and two others were initially charged with misdemeanour, aggravated assault and attempted bribery - although it was unclear what Maguire himself had been accused of. However, The Mykonos Voice explain why a fight did break out. They report that Maguire retaliated in anger after one member of another group stabbed his sister with a 'sharp object'.

Policemen - who were dressed in normal clothes - quickly arrived on the scene to break up the fight and took the group to the local police station. The report makes clear that Maguire or any other group member made no attempt to bribe a police officer, but rather they simply asked how much the penalty would be to avoid going to jail as they were unaware of the law in Greece.

Therefore, there was a misunderstanding which led to accusations of the group attempting to bribe the police officers.

Greek police issued a statement on Friday (via Sky Sports), claiming that officers were 'insulted' and were attacked by three foreigners. The statement adds that they also attempted to 'push and beat' the three police officers, before one member attempted to offer money to drop the case.

However, following Saturday's court hearing, Maguire's lawyers told Sky News the defender is free 'right now'. It remains to be seen how Maguire and his friends will be charged for their involvement in the incident, however.

The England international enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in a United shirt, featuring 55 times in all competitions in 2019/20. The Red Devils will get their 2020/21 season underway on 19 September when they host Crystal Palace.