Dele Alli told Ruben Loftus-Cheek that he ‘didn’t even know it was for me’ when the referee sent him off on his debut during Como’s 2-1 loss away against Milan on Saturday, after the

Alli had not played a single minute of senior football since as far back as February 2023, when he last featured for Besiktas, but his return did not go as he would have hoped at the San Siro. With Como trailing 2-1, Alli raked his studs down Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s standing leg from behind and was initially shown a yellow card for the challenge.

Dele Alli appears to have made light of the red card that ruined his Como debut as he made a long-awaited return from injury. The former England midfielder, who joined Como on a free transfer in January,