Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has been handed a one-match ban by FIFA for his middle-finger gesture to team-mate Kyle Walker, the Football Association have confirmed.
Alli was seen showing his middle-finger in the direction of the referee during England’s 2-1 win over Slovakia at the start of the month and there were initial fears FIFA would slap the midfielder with a four-match suspension.
That would have ruled the Tottenham ace out of England’s opening two matches of the 2018 World Cup, but further video footage emerged supporting Alli’s case that his bizarre gesture was actually directed at Walker.
While FIFA have accepted that reasoning, the game’s governing body has still given Alli a one-match ban, meaning he will miss Thursday’s qualifier against Slovenia.
Gareth Southgate’s side only need to beat Slovenia in order to secure their place in next summer’s World Cup and the England manager will have to do so without his star midfielder.
Alli is still looking to find his best form this season, while he is still yet to hit the heights he has shown at Tottenham on the international scene. In fact, the 21-year-old has only scored two goals in 21 caps for England.
