Disastrous debut: Dele Alli sent off after 10-min substitute cameo as Kyle Walker pleads with referee

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Dele Alli was sent off just 10 minutes into his debut for Como - his first appearance since February 2023 - in a decision which saw now-opponent but former England team-mate Kyle Walker plead against the verdict. A late Dele challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek saw the Englishman sent off after a VAR check, while Como boss Cesc Fabregas was also given his marching orders for his subsequent protests.

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Dele Alli was shown a red card just 10 minutes into his Como debut as Cesc Fabregas' side fell to a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan at the San Siro.

The England midfielder, playing competitively for the first time since his loan spell at Besiktas in February 2023, was sent off after stepping on Ruben Loftus-Cheek's calf in the dying embers of the Serie A encounter.

The referee Matteo Marchetti initially showed the former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton man a yellow card, but upon a VAR review, reached for his back pocket to send Dele off in his first appearance in Italy.

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Dele had been introduced by Fabregas in the 81st minute as Como's final throw of the dice in Milan, with the big-spending giants trailing 2-1 thanks to Tijani Reijnders turning the tide in the 75th minute, after Lucas da Cunha had opened the scoring on 33 minutes, before Christian Pulisic equalised eight minutes into the second half.

Even more surprising was Kyle Walker, Dele's compatriot and the AC Milan right-back, who seemed to try and reason with Marchetti to keep the Como midfielder on the pitch, despite the fact that with 10 men, Walker's side would have an infinitely easier task of holding out for victory.

However, Walker's pleas were not listened to by the Italian official, who gave Dele his marching orders, before also sending off Como manager Fabregas, whose protestations will likely earn him a touchline ban.

Speaking after the match, Fabregas lamented Dele's "grave mistake", and was left questioning whether he should have given the midfielder his debut after little time on the training field.

"Dele Alli is a player who can score goals," Fabregas said, in quotes reported by Football Italia. "He perhaps didn’t deserve this opportunity because he has only been working with us for two weeks and has a lot to improve."

"It is a grave mistake, one that we should not see from a player of his experience. It was a clear red card, there’s nothing to be said about that, he left the team down to 10 men during a crucial moment when we were pushing for 2-2.

"That is the most negative thing about this evening, but we keep going."

Dele, meanwhile, took to social media to issue his response, saying on Instagram: "I was always going to announce my return in some way after these past two years, would rather is had been with a goal, but feels good to be back".

The win hauls Sergio Conceicao's Rossoneri into seventh in the Serie A, seven points adrift of fourth-placed Juventus, who occupy the final UEFA Champions League qualification spot.

Milan face title-chasing Napoli next up, with Antonio Conte's Partenopei a point off league leaders Inter Milan.

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