Dele Alli's week went from bad to worse as he remained an unused sub on the Besiktas bench during their Christmas Day fixture.
The ex-Spurs star has endured a difficult few days after he was booed off by his own Besiktas fans as he was subbed off within 29 minutes during a clash against a third-division side.
The 26-year-old took to social media to reassure fans of his love for the game but that didn't seem to convince his Besiktas boss to get him on the pitch during their Christmas Day fixture.
The Turkish Super Lig was one of the few European leagues that run fixtures on Christmas Day and that saw Alli's Besiktas travel to mid-table Gaziantep.
However, it wasn't a holiday to remember for the former England international as he failed to make an appearance off the bench.
Besiktas boss Senol Gunes opted against using the ex-Everton midfielder as one of his four substitutes during their 1-1 draw.
Former Southampton star Nathan Redmond and ex-West Ham full-back Arthur Masuaku were two of the players chosen ahead of Alli.
Wout Weghorst - who got into a heated confrontation with Lionel Messi during the World Cup - scored Besiktas' only goal in his return for international duty.
It's been a tough week for Alli and, after he got booed off by his own fans against a Turkish third-division side, he shared a post to Instagram to his followers.
The picture posted on Instagram shows Alli hugging a football tight to his chest in Besiktas training.
While the caption reads: 'You saved my life. That's why I will always love you,' followed by a heart and a football emoji, to show he is talking about the sport.
Sporting director Ceyhun Kazanci has been left bemused by his struggles since joining the club, recently admitting no one can work out how to get him back to his best.
Alli joined Besiktas on a season-long loan from Everton in August after failing to resurrect his form at Goodison Park, marking a nightmare fall from grace for a player who once lit up the Premier League at 21.
The MK Dons academy graduate has failed to live up to the hype of his early days at Tottenham, where he scored 69 goals in 267 appearances before departing at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
