Bournemouth lose Alex Scott for up to eight weeks and hit out at England injury handling

Bournemouth have voiced their frustration over England's handling of Alex Scott's injury. The midfielder played 70 minutes in the 7-0 win against Croatia and is now expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a quadriceps problem.

• Alex Scott has joined Bournemouth's injury list with a quad issue.
• The south coast club believe he should not have featured so heavily against Croatia.
• Thomas Tuchel defends the decisions made by England's medical and coaching staff.
• Scott is set to miss at least nine matches, including Europa League and Carabao Cup fixtures.

The extent of Alex Scott's injury and his expected absence

Scott was managing a thigh complaint before Saturday's match against Croatia. Despite that, he started in central midfield alongside Elliot Anderson and stayed on the pitch for 70 minutes before being replaced. Subsequent scans confirmed a quadriceps injury that will keep him out for between six and eight weeks.

The 23-year-old had just earned his second senior England cap at Wembley and delivered a performance that drew strong praise from Tuchel. He now returns to his club to begin his recovery, leaving Bournemouth without one of their most influential midfielders during a challenging start to the season.

The Bournemouth matches Alex Scott will miss

Scott's absence comes during a particularly congested part of the season. Between 10 October and 8 November, Bournemouth face up to nine official matches. Alongside their Premier League commitments, Andoni Iraola's side take on Sturm Graz, AC Milan and Sparta Prague in the Europa League, as well as Aston Villa in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Scott is likely to miss all of those fixtures. The setback arrives with Bournemouth sitting 17th in the Premier League table, without a win in their opening five matches after drawing three and losing two.

Thomas Tuchel's explanation of the Scott injury

The England head coach described the injury as "a strange one" during his Monday press conference. He explained that Scott completed full training before the Croatia game, did extra work after sessions and never raised any concern through himself or the medical staff.

We knew he was in treatment but there were only green lights from him and the medics. 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.

Tuchel insisted that no risk was ever taken and noted that even before the scan the player did not feel injured. His comments are aimed at easing the frustration that sources close to Bournemouth say exists within the club over the midfielder's management.

Ezri Konsa also leaves the England camp

Scott is not the only player to pull out of the squad. Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa has been ruled out of Tuesday's match against the Czech Republic at Wembley as a precaution. The 28-year-old returns to the Premier League champions for treatment on a muscle issue.

Tuchel explained that Konsa arrived at camp with some discomfort, played through it against Spain and then took another knock against Croatia. "Nothing major but not worth the risk taking," he said of the centre-back's problems, summing up the decision to let him leave the squad early.

The growing Bournemouth injury list

Scott's setback leaves Iraola short of options in midfield at a crucial point of the campaign. The former Bristol City player had been growing into a key role at the Vitality Stadium, combining composure in possession with a tireless work rate out of possession.

He joins French forward Eli Junior Kroupi on the sidelines. The 20-year-old remains unavailable after sustaining a foot injury during pre-season. Both players will sit out an October schedule that could define Bournemouth's progress across three different competitions.

Scott's promising England breakthrough

Despite the frustrating injury, Scott used this international break to cement his arrival on the senior stage. He made his debut in the 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Prague and, four days later, produced a display against Croatia that Tuchel branded "the complete package".

The German coach highlighted his smoothness on the ball, his high-level decision making and his activity without possession. That performance suggests Scott, once fit again, will be a regular feature in future England squads. For now, the priority is recovering in time for the most demanding stretch of Bournemouth's season.