Prosecutors dropped accusations of assault against England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard today but the player will still face a charge of affray over a bar brawl.

The Liverpool captain was arrested in the early hours of December 29 after police were called to the Lounge Bar nightclub in Southport, north of Liverpool in northwest England.

Company director Marcus McGee, 34, required hospital treatment after receiving facial injuries in the incident.

At Sefton magistrates court today, Gerrard, 28, was told he would no longer face a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm, the Press Association reported.

The incident occurred following Gerrard's man-of-the-match performance in a 5-1 win over Newcastle United, in which he had scored twice.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has said the club are fully behind Gerrard, whose court appearance comes the day before a Premier League game against Aston Villa.

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