Liverpool Star Raheem Sterling Reportedly Arrested on Assault Charges

Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling was arrested on Thursday night after an allegation of assault in Merseyside, where the club is stationed, reports David Kent of the Daily Mail. 

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Raheem Sterling has spent the night in a police cell following an allegation of assault on Merseyside.

The Liverpool winger will appear at the city's magistrates court on Friday to answer the charge of assault after he was arrested at 10.30pm on Thursday in Page Moss.

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The alleged assault involved Sterling's model girlfriend, Shana Halliday, according to Kent's report. Sky Sports states he was charged with common assault.

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Liverpool's Raheem Sterling charged with common assault #SSN

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 9, 2013"

It is the second such incident involving Sterling. Back in February, he was also charged with assault after an alleged encounter with a 27-year-old woman, via BBC. The charge was eventually dropped as reported by The Guardian, however, after a witness didn't show up for court.

The details surrounding the current charge are still extremely limited. The Daily Mail report states Sterling could face jail time should he be found guilty, though.

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It reads: "Common assault and battery shall be summary offences and a person guilty of either of them shall be liable to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both."

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More information about the situation should become clear after the player's initial court appearance. As noted, that's expected to happen in magistrates court on Friday.

Obviously, this is not at all what the club wanted as it prepares for the new campaign to begin. The Reds are scheduled to open Premier League play next weekend against Stoke City. As of now, Sterling's availability for that match remains uncertain.

Sterling is coming off an often frustrating campaign where he struggled to make a consistent impact. At 18, he's viewed as a player with plenty of upside who should improve with experience. The Reds were hoping he would take a major step forward in the upcoming campaign.

That said, these charges could hinder that, yet it's impossible to know exactly what type of impact they will have until more information is released.

It's a troublesome situation for both player and club.