Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has entered not guilty pleas to two additional rape allegations.
The 32-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, where he denied two counts of raping a woman in London on a day in December 2020.
Partey, who left Arsenal for Villarreal last summer, was previously charged in July last year with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, covering incidents alleged to have occurred between 2021 and 2022.
He had already pleaded not guilty to those earlier charges, with a trial initially scheduled for November this year.
The two new rape charges were added in February this year, and on Monday, Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster, ruled that all charges would be tried together.
However, the judge warned that the consolidated trial could now be delayed until January next year.
In total, the footballer now faces seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving allegations from four different women.
During Monday’s hearing, Partey confirmed his identity and formally entered the two not guilty pleas. He was dressed in dark grey trousers, a black jumper over a white shirt, and black shoes, and later left the dock carrying his suit jacket over his shoulder.
He had previously missed a Westminster Magistrates’ Court hearing last month, although his legal team indicated that not guilty pleas would be entered.
The Ghanaian midfielder, formerly of Atlético Madrid and Arsenal, joined the English club in 2020 in a deal worth about £45 million before leaving in June last year.
He remains on bail under conditions that he must not contact the alleged victims.
The court was informed that Mr Justice Bennathan is expected to preside over the trial, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for May 14. A final trial date will be fixed once the judge is confirmed.