Dele Alli explains training absence after Besiktas manager's public mockery
Dele Alli has explained his absence from Besiktas training after he was publicly chastised by manager Senol Gunes.
The 26-year-old joined the Turkish side on loan from Everton last summer and has managed two goals in 13 Super Lig appearances, but he hasn't played in almost a month.
Reports in Turkey have also suggested Gunes is prepared to keep Dele out of his first-team squad for the remainder of the season, when his loan will end.
Dele 'banished' from Besiktas squad
Dele has been left out of Besiktas' squad for their last two games - a 2-0 win at Istanbul Basaksehir and a 3-1 victory over Istanbulspor - and his future was thrown further into doubt when manager Gunes suggested he had gone AWOL.
He said: "Dele Alli could not come at this time. It’s raining, I guess that’s why he couldn’t come.
"We’re trying to hear from him. We could not reach him by phone. Hopefully he didn’t have an accident."
Gunes has previously called out the former Tottenham midfielder for performing below his standards, stating Besiktas were unlikely to take up their option for a permanent transfer.
He told Haberturk last month: "He runs a lot, but he has problems in assisting and scoring goals.
"He is a player with a high probability of leaving at the end of the year, whether he plays well or badly."
Dele's response
Dele took to social media to clear up the confusion, claiming he had been given permission by Besiktas to attend a doctor's appointment.
He posted on Instagram: "Hey guys just had loads of messages so wanted to clear something up.
"The club gave me permission to attend a doctor’s appointment today. I’m due back in training tomorrow [Thursday] as normal."
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Nathan Redmond defends Dele
Nathan Redmond arrived at Besiktas at the same time as Dele and has managed two goals and two assists in 18 league games so far, recently netting against Istanbulspor.
The pair played for England Under-21s and were also both on the pitch when Redmond made his sole senior appearance in a 1-0 defeat to Germany in 2017.
Redmond told FourFourTwo: "We’ve been friends for a long time. Before this, we were speaking in the summer, just about life in general.
"It’s hard sometimes for someone of Dele’s stature, who’s been at the very top and been under a lot more scrutiny than others in the last five or six years. He’s had a lot of injuries - that’s definitely played a factor in his confidence and how he performs sometimes, but off the pitch he’s as normal as anyone.
"He enjoys playing Call of Duty. He loves playing football, and he loves training every day and trying to improve."
Current Everton manager Sean Dyche recently gave an update on Dele's future at Goodison Park, stating: “I’ll wait to find out [about Dele] during the international break. We’ll have to wait and see and judge in the summer."