Bournemouth angry with England over Alex Scott injury blow
Alex Scott
Thomas TuchelBournemouth are furious with the England national team’s handling of Alex Scott after the midfielder was ruled out for up to eight weeks. The 23-year-old has withdrawn from the squad ahead of Tuesday’s Nations League clash with the Czech Republic.
Scott started and played 70 minutes in England’s 7-0 victory against Croatia on Saturday. However, he was carrying a quadriceps issue before the game in Rijeka. Bournemouth are deeply disappointed that he was allowed to play, which has now aggravated the thigh injury.
A costly night in Rijeka
Scott, who joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023 and has made 95 appearances for the club, played through the pain barrier alongside Elliot Anderson in midfield before being replaced by James Garner. The substitution did not seem to be due to an injury at the time, but the aftermath has proven costly.
According to sources, there is immense frustration at Bournemouth. Club staff feel England coaches knew about the player’s physical struggles but risked him anyway, leaving him facing around two months on the sidelines.
Tuchel defends England medical staff
England manager Thomas Tuchel has defended his staff, describing the injury as a strange situation during his Monday press conference.
Speaking to reporters in his Monday press conference, Tuchel said:
“I’m very sad about it. He trained in full before Croatia, did extra work after the training sessions, we knew he was in treatment but there were only green lights from him and the medics,”
Tuchel insisted that the player himself did not feel any serious pain and wanted to continue playing during the match.
Tuchel explained the communication with the player during the match, saying:
“Even before the scan he didn’t feel injured so it’s a strange one. There was zero risk taken from our side.”
The England manager had previously been full of praise for the young midfielder’s contributions on the international stage.
Praising the midfielder’s display before the injury setback, Tuchel said:
“He plays with so much confidence. He is so active, so confident. The work rate off the ball.”
England are also dealing with an injury to Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa, who has returned to the Premier League champions to receive treatment. The 28-year-old centre-back missed the match in Prague on 29 September and picked up another knock against Croatia.
Addressing the Arsenal defender’s situation, Tuchel said:
“Ezri felt discomfort when he came into camp, played with it against Spain and it got a bit worse so he stayed in camp and tried everything for the match against the Czech Republic and it came too soon,”
A massive blow for Marco Rose
The news is a devastating setback for Bournemouth manager Marco Rose. His side currently sit 17th in the Premier League table and are winless in their opening five league matches, having recorded three draws and two defeats.
Scott is now set to miss nine matches for his club between 10 October and 8 November. This packed schedule includes a Carabao Cup tie against Aston Villa and Europa League fixtures against Sturm Graz, AC Milan, and Sparta Prague.
Bournemouth, who recently beat Lincoln in the EFL Cup and secured a 2-1 victory away at Real Sociedad during their first European match, also face crucial Premier League games against Chelsea, Sunderland, Manchester United, Leeds, and Ipswich.
Scott’s injury also rules him out of England’s double-header in the Nations League next month against Spain and Croatia. It disrupts a breakthrough year in which Chelsea had several bids for the midfielder turned down during the summer transfer window.
He joins French forward Eli Junior Kroupi on the sidelines, with the 20-year-old still recovering after he had an operation on a foot problem in July.
