Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli is unlucky to be suspended for Friday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United, according to his manager Jose Mourinho. England international Alli was suspended for one match and fined after a social media prank making light of the coronavirus pandemic in early February. Speaking at a virtual news conference on Thursday ahead of Tottenham’s first game back after a three-month shutdown of the season, Mourinho said other players had got away with worse behaviour.
“I can only tell you I feel very sorry that Dele is not playing. Again, I feel very, very sorry that he’s not playing. He’s a player that works so, so hard during all this period and he’s really frustrated that he cannot play the first match,” Mourinho said.
“I don’t want to say much more than I don’t think he deserves a one-match ban compared with wrong behaviours at much bigger dimensions that happened during this period without any consequences.”
Mourinho did not name names, but several Premier League players flouted government lockdown rules.
Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, who played against Sheffield United on Wednesday, was involved in a road traffic accident after breaking lockdown to visit a friend, while Manchester City’s Kyle Walker apologised after a tabloid newspaper reported he had invited two women to a party at his house.
