England striker Ivan Toney will be unavailable for Euro 2028 after a judge scheduled his trial for assault occasioning actual bodily harm to begin on 12 June 2028, in the middle of the group stage of a tournament hosted in the UK and Ireland.
Toney appeared at Southwark crown court to formally enter a not guilty plea. He is accused of head-butting and punching a man named Saber Da Silva at a Soho nightclub on 6 December last year.
Prosecutors allege the two men exchanged words before squaring up to each other. They say Toney then “lunged forward and head-butted the complainant, followed by a few punches”. Da Silva is said to have suffered injuries to his nose and fingers.
After denying the charge, Toney asked for the case to be heard before a crown court.
Judge Hehir set the trial date roughly 20 months away and apologised to Toney for the long delay. He explained that the crown courts are under severe pressure, leaving little room to bring the case forward.
The date has a major consequence for Toney’s international future. With the trial landing in the group stage, the striker cannot be part of England’s squad, and another player will be picked in his place.
Toney was granted unconditional bail. The judge stressed that staying in regular contact with his solicitors was “very important” and “a matter of common sense” while he waits for trial.
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Judge Hehir also said the law required him to give Toney the standard warning issued to every defendant on bail about what happens if they fail to attend court. If Toney did not show up, the judge said, the case would probably go ahead without him.
The timing is awkward for a player who was recently part of Thomas Tuchel’s England group at the 2026 World Cup. Toney came off the bench against Argentina in the semi-final and started the third-place playoff win over France.
The Metropolitan Police charged him three weeks after the tournament. He was not included in Tuchel’s next squad for the Nations League fixtures in late September and early October.
Toney, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, has 10 England caps. He began his career at Northampton and had spells at Newcastle and Peterborough before his breakthrough at Brentford. His goals there helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2021, and he went on to become one of the division’s leading strikers. Al-Ahli signed him for £40m in 2024.
For now, the case is pending, Toney has denied the allegation, and the court will decide the matter at trial in June 2028.