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England midfielder Dele Alli banned for one game over middle finger

England's Dele Alli has been banned for one international match by FIFA following his middle-finger gesture in the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia.

The Tottenham midfielder was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs (£3,852) by the governing body, which described the gesture as "offensive and unsporting."

Alli will miss Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Slovenia at Wembley but the 21-year-old will be available for the match against Lithuania on Sunday after he was included in manager Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.

Alli has said the gesture was a "joke" directed at friend and former club-mate Kyle Walker, a claim supported by the Football Association (FA), Southgate and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Alli made the gesture 13 minutes from time in the 2-1 win home over Slovakia, after his appeals for a free kick were waved away by referee Clement Turpin.

Speaking on Thursday, Pochettino backed Alli to deal with a possible ban, saying: "He's more mature today. I think you can feel the same that he's more mature, he's not the kid who arrived here three years ago.

"A lot of things happen in that period. I hope that nothing happens but if it happens I think he's mature enough to deal with that situation'

"On the pitch and out of it, he is more mature in all areas."

England need one point to top Group F and make the finals.