Sunderland defender Titus Bramble has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug.
PA PhotosTitus Bramble joined Sunderland from Wigan in 2010
Bramble, 30, was being held for questioning by Cleveland Police following an incident in the early hours.
A force spokeswoman said: “A 30-year-old man from Wynyard has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a class A drug. He is currently being questioned by police and inquiries are ongoing.”
Last year Bramble, who played in his team’s 2-1 defeat at Norwich on Monday, was arrested by Northumbria Police over an alleged rape in a Newcastle hotel but he was later released without charge.
His brother Tesfaye was jailed for four and a half years last month after he was convicted of raping a 19-year-old a year ago.
The club said it was making inquiries but did not want to say anything more at this time.
A Sunderland spokesman said: “The club is looking into this matter but due to ongoing police investigations is unable to comment further at this stage.”