Joao Felix was sent off in his Chelsea debut as the Portugal star saw red for a reckless lunge on Fulham’s Kenny Tete in Thursday’s Premier League clash.
Felix was dismissed in the 58th minute at Craven Cottage after catching Tete on the shin.
The 23-year-old was playing for Chelsea for the first time just 24 hours after joining on loan from Atletico Madrid for the rest of the season.
Felix had impressed on his debut, creating several dangerous chances until his moment of madness led to his dismissal with the score level at 1-1.
Under-fire Chelsea boss Graham Potter had hoped Felix’s signing could revitalise his struggling side, who are languishing in 10th place in the Premier League.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things, his training, the quality he has and the team needs a little bit of lift in terms of the ability he has,” Potter told BT Sport just before kick-off at Fulham.
“He’s a confident boy and he just wants to play. He’s just got to be himself.
“He hasn’t had that much time with the players, so it’s just about expressing himself.”
Felix joined Atletico from Benfica in 2019 for 126 million euros, making him one of the most expensive players of all time.
He has scored 34 goals in 131 appearances for the club, winning La Liga in 2021.
Felix also featured in Portugal’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar last month, scoring in the 3-2 victory against Ghana in the group stage.
AFP
