Former England midfielder Dele Alli had a challenging return to professional football, being sent off less than 10 minutes into his debut for Como in Serie A.
Coming on as an 81st-minute substitute against AC Milan, he received a red card in stoppage time for a reckless tackle on Ruben Loftus-Cheek, following a VAR review.
Como lost the match 2-1, despite leading at halftime through Lucas da Cunha’s goal. Christian Pulisic and Tijani Reijnders scored in the second half to secure victory for Milan.
After a two-year absence from competitive play, Dele joined Como in January and had been training with the team. Despite his red card, he expressed his excitement to be back on Instagram, wishing it had been with a goal.
Como’s manager, Cesc Fabregas, criticized Dele’s tackle as a grave mistake that left the team with 10 men during a critical moment of the match. Como currently sits 13th in the league, six points clear of the relegation zone.
