Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott has withdrawn from the England squad with a thigh injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks. England coach Thomas Tuchel described the quadriceps issue as a strange one after the player completed seventy minutes in a 7-0 win over Croatia.
The 23-year-old midfielder has left the England camp ahead of their upcoming fixture against the Czech Republic due to a quadriceps injury that could sideline him for up to two months.
The setback arrives just days after Scott earned rave reviews for his full international debut in a 7-0 demolition of Croatia. Prior to that breakout performance, he came off the bench during a 2-0 victory against the Czech Republic in Prague.
Thomas Tuchel defends handling of midfielder’s thigh issue
Questions have emerged over the management of the player’s fitness after it was revealed he felt discomfort before the Croatia fixture. Sources indicate that Bournemouth are frustrated with the national setup regarding the handling of the injury given they knew he was nursing the thigh issue.
Addressing reporters in his Monday news conference, England boss Thomas Tuchel defended the medical team’s approach and called the situation peculiar.
“When we were aware there was slight discomfort during the match and asked if he wanted to come off he said no. After the match, he said he could have played 90 minutes and didn’t feel an injury.”
Thomas Tuchel, England coach
Tuchel added that Scott trained fully beforehand and that the medics had given green lights with zero risk taken.
Bournemouth faces a daunting nine-game fixture list without key creator
The lengthy recovery timeline deals a severe blow to Bournemouth manager Marco Rose. Sitting 17th in the Premier League table without a win from their opening five matches, the Cherries must now play a grueling stretch of nine games between October 10 and November 8.
Scott joins French forward Eli Junior Kroupi on the club’s absentee list while recovering from a foot problem sustained in pre-season.
- Premier League fixtures against Chelsea, Sunderland, Manchester United, Leeds, and Ipswich
- Europa League encounters with Sturm Graz, AC Milan, and Sparta Prague
- A Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Aston Villa
Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa also withdraws from Wembley fixture
Scott is not the only player exiting the Three Lions squad prematurely. Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa has also been ruled out of the upcoming match as a precautionary measure, returning to his club for treatment on dual fitness concerns.
Konsa originally missed the fixture against the Czech Republic in Prague on September 29 before sustaining a knock against Croatia. Tuchel noted that the center-back had attempted to play through pain after experiencing discomfort upon entering the international camp.
“Unfortunately, he got another hit on the quad and that caused a light trauma and we decided not to let him play through this pain, so he left camp to get treatment for both his issues now.”
Thomas Tuchel, England coach
The pair join a growing list of withdrawals for Tuchel’s squad that includes Nico O’Reilly, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, and Marcus Rashford following various fitness issues.
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