Alex Scott has been forced to withdraw from England's recent squad after sustaining a tendon problem during the 7-0 demolition of Croatia. Despite manager Thomas Tuchel's insistence that there were no warning signs before the midfielder took the field on Saturday, the injury has now been confirmed as serious enough to keep him away from further international duty for an undetermined period.
According to sources at Sky Sports News, Scott will travel back to his club, Bournemouth, where a thorough medical assessment will be carried out to establish the full extent of the damage. Early indications suggest a lay‑off of several weeks, although additional scans are scheduled to refine the prognosis. In a pre‑press conference ahead of England's match against the Czech Republic, Tuchel shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the injury.
He explained that there was no reason to suspect a problem before the Croatia game. "With Alex it's a strange one.
I'm very sad about it," the German coach said. "He trained in both sessions before the match and even did extra work after the sessions. We knew he was in treatment, but we only got the green light from him and the medical team. When we noticed a slight discomfort during the match we asked if he wanted to come off.
He said no." Tuchel continued, describing the puzzling nature of the situation: "Afterwards he said it was the right decision but he could've played the full 90. He didn't feel an injury, even on the plane back to London before we did the scan.
It is a strange case because the scan's objectivity and the predicted recovery time don't match. There was no awareness of any risk from our side. I feel sad for him.
We have an exchange all the time and when he went out, even the day after, he didn't feel injured, so in my mind, he started tomorrow." The club side, Bournemouth, has reportedly expressed dissatisfaction that one of their key players returned from international duty carrying an injury, arguing that he should not have been fielded in Rijeka. When asked about the club's reaction, Tuchel said, "The medical and physical department is in constant contact with all the players who are with us. We are sharing information and this is a totally open process.
I can totally understand that Bournemouth are not happy and sad because they lose a key player, but from the moment we took the decision to let him play, there was absolutely no risk whatsoever apparent to me or our physical staff. I have not taken any risks, even if it was a big opportunity for him and we wanted him to start. If I had the slightest idea there was a risk, I would not have taken it. I would never do this...
It's a one‑off." Adding a personal note, Scott's grandfather passed away during the international break. Despite the loss, Scott chose to stay with the national team and honor his late relative, who had been one of his biggest supporters throughout his footballing journey. The midfielder's debut start for England in Rijeka earned him praise from Tuchel, especially for his link‑up play with fellow midfielder Elliot Anderson, a teammate from the U21 European Championship victory in 2025. During the second half of the Croatia match, Scott requested to be substituted after feeling pain, a decision that ultimately proved wise given the subsequent diagnosis.
The injury has also reignited transfer speculation. Sky Sports reported that Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all showed interest in securing Scott's services this summer. However, Bournemouth have made it clear that the player is not for sale, emphasizing that he has two years left on his contract and that the club is under no pressure to negotiate a move. In fact, the midfielder is understood to have turned down a new contract offer from Bournemouth, despite the interest from several Premier League giants.
Bournemouth's upcoming fixture sees them travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in their first match after the international break, a game that will be closely watched to see how the team copes without Scott's midfield presence. The news also touched on another England player, defender Ezri Konsa, who has returned to Arsenal after being ruled out of England's final game of the break against the Czech Republic. Konsa had been dealing with a minor muscle issue that kept him out of training earlier in the week.
He managed to play the full 90 minutes in the 7‑0 win over Croatia but will now miss the remainder of the Three Lions' camp. Tuchel explained Konsa's situation: "Ezri came into camp with discomfort. Played against Spain which made it worse. He stayed in camp and tried everything for the match in Croatia and gave the green light.
Unfortunately, he got another hit on the quad and it caused some light trauma. We decided not to let him play again through the pain. Nothing major but not worth taking the risk." Konsa will head back to Arsenal for further fitness assessments, while the club prepares for a Premier League clash against Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday at 12:30 pm.
In summary, Alex Scott's tendon injury has forced him out of England duty for an uncertain period, prompting concerns from both national and club sides. The situation highlights the delicate balance coaches must strike between seizing opportunities for talented players and safeguarding their long‑term health. As medical scans continue and recovery timelines become clearer, both England and Bournemouth will need to adapt their strategies, while the broader transfer market watches to see how this setback might influence Scott's future prospects.