Joao Felix was shown a red card on his Chelsea debut on Thursday night as the Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage – but how many times has Felix been sent off in his career, after seeing red for a high-footed lunge?
The hype was huge after Chelsea announced the signing of 23-year-old Felix. Even more so, with under-pressure boss Graham Potter including Felix in his starting line-up. But it could not have gone worse for the Portugal international.
Willian had given Fulham the lead against his old side, before Kalidou Koulibaly equalised soon after half-time. With the game in the balance, Felix lunged in on Fulham right-back Kenny Tete. The contact was minimal, but studs were up.
It saw Felix sent off on his debut for the tackle and ultimately, it contributed to Chelsea suffering a 2-1 loss. A deep cross from Andreas Pereira left Kepa dumbfounded, and ex-Tottenham striker Carlos Vinicius headed into the net.
A huge win for Fulham, but a defeat that piles the pressure on already under-fire manager Potter. For Felix, a woeful start to his career at Chelsea. With just 20 Premier League games to play, Felix will be missing for the next three.
How many times has Felix been sent off? Red card on Chelsea debut
It is not the first time Felix has been shown a red card. But the youngster has only been sent off once previously, during a 0-0 draw with Athletic Bilbao in September 2021. Shown a yellow on 78 minutes, he protested – and was shown red.
Has Felix got a discipline issue? Two red cards and 35 yellows in his 220 senior appearances – a yellow around every six games – would suggest, probably not. But nevertheless, he will now be sidelined until the end of the month.
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