Dele Alli debate: does Tottenham star deserve England place?
Midfielder withdraws from the England squad to face Switzerland
England vs. Switzerland
- When: Tuesday, 8pm
- Where: King Power Stadium, Leicester
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
England boss Gareth Southgate will be without Dele Alli after the midfielder withdrew from the squad for the international friendly against Switzerland.
Tottenham star Alli will miss tomorrow night’s clash in Leicester due to a minor muscle strain he picked up in the 2-1 loss against Spain at Wembley on Saturday.
The 22-year-old returns to Spurs for further treatment and will hope to be fit for Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Liverpool.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Southgate had already added Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell and Demarai Gray to his squad to face the Swiss. He will not bring in a replacement for Alli.
‘He’s getting lost in games’
Despite his fine form for Tottenham alongside England skipper Harry Kane, Alli has struggled in an England shirt. During the run to the World Cup semi-finals he scored in the last-eight match against Sweden but struggled during the tournament because of a thigh injury.
In Saturday’s loss against Spain, Alli was ineffective as England were beaten in their first match since the World Cup in Russia. Spain midfield stars Isco and Thiago Alcantara ran the game at Wembley, revealing exactly what Southgate is missing from his engine room.
The Times columnist Tony Cascarino believes Alli “must find way to dominate like Isco,” while in The Daily Telegraph Sam Wallace writes that Southgate could do with “finding an English Thiago Alcantara... or two”.
Despite Alli’s talent, Cascarino says the 22-year-old is now facing “the first battle of his career”.
“I’m not being critical of Alli as a player – he’s a fine talent and I know I had plenty of struggles throughout my career – but there’s no denying that he is getting lost in games and he cannot afford to become a luxury player,” Cascarino writes.
“I want to see Alli put himself about the pitch, making more challenges, and improve his passing game because at the moment I don’t think he’s a guaranteed starter for Gareth Southgate.”
Fans react to Alli withdrawal
After it was announced today that Alli would miss the match against Switzerland, some fans questioned if the Spurs star should have been in the squad at all after his busy summer with the Three Lions.
Many believe he needs the rest while others say it’s in Tottenham’s interest for Alli to miss the England game. Some predict that Alli will be fit enough to face Liverpool on Saturday in the early Premier League fixture (12.30pm).
Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'The double standards don't trouble the critics'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 22, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - frozen assets, blazing fires, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The wit and wisdom of Sven-Göran Eriksson
In Depth The first foreign coach to manage England on football, life and death
By The Week Staff Published
-
Gareth Southgate's England: a bittersweet swan song
In Depth History books will favour football manager who transformed culture of football in England
By The Week UK Published
-
Can England's Euros team hold their nerve?
Today's Big Question Three Lions' 'lopsided' opening win over Serbia raises more questions than it answers
By The Week UK Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The England kit: a furore over the flag
Why everyone's talking about Nike's redesign of the St George's Cross on the collar of the English national team's shirt has caused controversy
By The Week UK Published
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?
Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
By The Week UK Published
-
Lionesses will have regrets but their legacy can be ‘incredible’
feature England stars return home after heartbreaking Women’s World Cup final loss to Spain
By Mike Starling Published
-
How English women’s football could become a billion pound industry
feature Building on the success of the Lionesses won’t be easy but it is eminently possible
By The Week Staff Published