Erik ten Hag says Antony will be considered for selection for Manchester United’s Champions League game against Galatasaray on Tuesday night.
The United manager said the Brazil international is available to play, although the fact he only returned to training on Saturday will count against him.
Antony is under investigation by police in both England and Brazil over allegations that he assaulted three former partners.
He was initially suspended by the club last month but on Friday the club announced he would resume training while police enquiries continue, a decision they said “will be kept under review”.
Ten Hag was asked about the situation ahead of Tuesday night’s game and replied: “Antony will be in consideration but yesterday was his first day back in team training, final training and then we make the decision. So he is under consideration.”
Asked if the decision to allow him back into training sends out the wrong message to victims of domestic violence, Ten Hag replied: “He cooperated fully, it came out he’s not charged, so…”
United badly need a win after making their worst start to a domestic season since 1989, and losing their opening European group fixture to Bayern Munich.
Defeat at home by Crystal Palace on Saturday means they have lost four of their last six in the Premier League to sit in 10th place, and the suspension of £85 million winger Antony and Ten Hag’s spat with £73 million signing Jadon Sancho have added to the air of discontent hanging over Old Trafford.
That could be lifted by a good showing in Europe, and defender Raphael Varane claims the current squad has the potential to win the competition despite their dismal start to the season.
“The quality is in the squad,” said the France international, who collected four winner’s medals in five years with Real Madrid. “The competition is difficult, and you have to take care of every detail but we have a team of quality, of good mentality.
“We have to make some improvements. It was not the start to the season we expected but I still believe we have the quality to compete with the best teams in the world.
“You have to be efficient to win the competition. In the last moments we need more efficiency, it is a very low number of occasions (on which) we concede goals and we need to create a lot to score.
“That is the reality of the top level, you need to be efficient to win trophies. We have the quality in the squad to win competitions. We have to move forward and improve.”
Ten Hag confirmed that Varane’s central defensive partner Lisandro Martinez requires a second operation on a metatarsal fracture. He is expected to be out for up to three months.
United’s tally of seven goals in their first seven league games has been a serious problem for Ten Hag and the poor form of Marcus Rashford, after scoring 30 in 56 games last season, is a concern.
Ten Hag knows that getting the England international back in scoring form - he has one in eight games this season - is central to getting his team back in the groove.
“The facts are he is not scoring at this moment, but he had opportunities,” said the Dutch manager. “He had five or six against Brighton and if he works hard, if he invests, every day, goes with the right focus and if the team around him supply and help him, and support him with movement, then it will come.
“Marcus Rashford is a player who is capable of scoring goals in every game and when he comes in the right spot, he will score.”
The manager backed his players to come through their poor start to the campaign, although his claim that they have done so in the past was faintly damning.
“You have to deal with it and experienced players can deal with it, it is not the first time we are in this situation,” he said.
“It is not a career of highlights, the journey will go with bumps, gaps will be in between and now it’s about character. Character as an individual, character as a team, how you get out. As you see, there are many, many positives.”
