Pregnant Zara Charles displays her baby bump as she makes a rare appearance without boyfriend Ryan Giggs in Cheshire

Ryan Giggs appeared to be an unused substitute on Wednesday morning as his pregnant girlfriend Zara Charles made a rare appearance without the retired footballer.

Charles, 36, revealed a noticeable baby bump as she ventured into a coffee shop in Cheshire just over a fortnight after confirming her pregnancy.

Wearing a white linen shirt over a gray tank top and loose-fitting sweatpants, the mother-to-be looked relaxed as she mingled with shoppers in Hale on Wednesday.

Charles was without former Manchester United and Wales legend Giggs, 50, with whom she confirmed her pregnancy in May.

Giggs is a parent to footballer son Zach, 17, and daughter Libby, 19, from his 10-year marriage to Stacey Cooke, while Zara has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Charles revealed a noticeable baby bump as he ventured into a coffee shop in Cheshire just over a fortnight after confirming her pregnancy

A source told The Sun: ‘Ryan and Zara are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents again.

‘They have a very solid, loving relationship and are building a long-term future together.’

Insiders claim Giggs’ ex-wife Stacey – who divorced Ryan in 2017 – also gave her and their children the blessing.

The source added: “Ryan was nervous about what his kids would think, but they have gotten to know Zara over the years and really like her. They are happy because they know he is happy…

“But they joked that maybe he was having trouble with the early mornings and lack of sleep. Ryan and Zara are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents again, they have a very solid, loving relationship and are building a long-term future together.”

Another source told the publication: “Stacey approves of Zara. She and Ryan have been through a lot, but they have moved on and she is only interested in him being happy because that makes him a good father to their children. There’s no animosity.’

Giggs and Stacey divorced in 2017 after it emerged he had an eight-year affair with his brother Rhodri’s wife, Natasha.

Members of his family cut ties with him when the news broke. His father said he was ‘ashamed’ of his son, while his brother made headlines in a Paddy Power advert mocking the former Manchester United man.

Wearing a white linen shirt over a gray tank top and loose-fitting sweatpants, the mother-to-be looked relaxed as she mingled with shoppers in Hale on Wednesday.

Charles was without former Manchester United and Wales legend Giggs, with whom she confirmed her pregnancy in May

The marriage survived the affair – and another affair with former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas – before eventually splitting in 2016.

According to Leiper Gupta Family Lawyers, the divorce could have cost Giggs £20million, but the couple’s lawyers said they remained ‘firm friends’.

The former footballer recently returned to work as director of football at Salford City, the club he co-owns with former teammates Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, after being acquitted of assaulting ex-girlfriend Kate Greville in 2023 .

He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an alleged headbutt against Katie, plus further charges of coercive or controlling behavior against her and common assault against her sister Emma.

But during a 10-minute hearing the prosecution offered no evidence and Judge Hilary Manley said: ‘I formally return verdicts of not guilty on each of the three charges.’

The lingerie model and the retired footballer, who have been dating since 2021, are expecting their first child together later this year

Giggs’ ex-wife Stacey also gave her blessing, as did their children (pictured with their daughter Libby, 19, and son Zach, 17)

Chris Daw KC, defending Giggs, said his client is “deeply relieved that the prosecution has finally ended after almost three years of fighting to clear his name”, adding: “He is always innocent to these charges – there have been many, many lies told about him in court.’

It was then revealed how the case began to fall apart when Katie said she did not want to testify due to the effects of the trial on her ‘mental and physical well-being’.

However, Giggs’ lawyers said he ‘did not believe’ her reasoning, insisting the prosecution had been deterred by new information uncovered by the defence.

This included a cosmetic procedure in which lip fillers were applied on or around the day of the alleged headbutt and several days before she was pictured with apparently swollen and bruised lips as a result of the alleged attack.