Alli free to play in World Cup as he escapes with one-game ban

DELE ALLI will be available for the start of next summer’s World Cup after FIFA accepted his explanation for a controversial middle-finger gesture.

The Tottenham midfielder will miss Thursday’s qualifier against Slovenia at Wembley after being banned for one match for the gesture he made during his country’s win over Slovakia earlier this month. He was also fined £3,800.

It is a huge relief to England manager Gareth Southgate, who feared Alli would be handed a longer suspension, thus making him ineligible for the start of Russia 2018. Alli and the FA have maintained the gesture was aimed at team-mate Kyle Walker and not referee Clement Turpin.

The FA compiled a detailed dossier to back up Alli’s story, knowing that such a gesture to an official would warrant a four-game ban.

FIFA accepted Alli’s gesture was directed at Walker and not the referee. Nevertheless, Alli was still handed a one-match ban after world football’s governing body ruled that it was ‘offensive and unsporting’.

A FIFA statement said: ‘Following the incident during the match between England and Slovakia, Dele Alli has been sanctioned with a suspension for one official match and a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs for making an offensive and unsporting gesture.

‘Although the disciplinary committee was not convinced that the player directed the gesture at the referee, and regardless of whether it was allegedly directed at a team-mate, it did consider such a gesture to be offensive and unsporting.’

Southgate said: ‘He’s a good kid who wants to improve. He’s not somebody who doesn’t want to listen. His world is changing and it’s becoming far more high-profile and there’s a responsibility as other kids are looking at him.’