ENGLAND boss Gareth Southgate is resigned to losing Dele Alli for next month’s vital World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Lithuania.
The Spurs midfielder is in hot water with Fifa following his “middle finger salute” to Kyle Walker during the 2-1 win against Slovakia at Wembley earlier this month.
The Times report Alli will be up in the dock on Thursday, the same day Southgate names his squad for next month’s double-header.
Southgate is preparing to be without the attacker based on soundings from the FA’s refereeing department for two games.
Despite Alli’s claims his obscene gesture was aimed at his former team-mate Walker, it was still in the general direction of referee Clement Turpin and Fifa could take a dim view of his actions and ban him for four games.
England need one more win to book their place at next summer’s World Cup in Russia, so a win against Slovenia at Wembley turns the trip to Lithuania three days later into a dead rubber.
So the priority will be for Alli to be available for the opening two group games of the World Cup as the FA will plead leniency with written submissions and video clips showing the gesture was aimed at the Manchester City defender.
Southgate is short on attacking options going into next month’s games with Adam Lallana and Danny Welbeck out injured along with Alli’s potential absence.
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Southgate will finalise his squad after he and assistant Steve Holland take in Leicester City v Liverpool West Ham United v Tottenham and Brighton v Newcastle United, this weekend before finalising the squad.
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