England forward Ivan Toney plays for Saudi club Al-Ahli.
The England striker denied an assault charge at Southwark Crown Court, where a judge apologised for the lengthy wait.
The Ivan Toney trial over an alleged London nightclub assault will provisionally begin on June 12, 2028. The England striker pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.
Toney, 30, faces a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Prosecutors accuse him of headbutting and punching Saber Da Silva at a Soho nightclub last December.
Judge Christopher Hehir set the provisional date during a five-minute hearing at the London court. He also apologised to Toney for the delay, explaining that crown courts faced heavy pressure and a substantial backlog.
Following the hearing, Toney left court on unconditional bail. The same court will hear the trial.
Ivan Toney trial follows alleged Soho confrontation
An earlier hearing heard allegations of a confrontation between Toney and Da Silva at the 100 Wardour Street club. The account presented to the court alleged that the two men faced off against each other.
Toney then allegedly moved forward, headbutted Da Silva and threw several punches. However, the striker formally denied the assault charge when he entered his plea on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Toney plays club football for Saudi side Al-Ahli, having previously represented Brentford. The forward has made 10 appearances for England and scored one international goal.
He was also part of England’s 2026 World Cup squad. However, he does not feature in the latest Nations League squad.
