Alex Scott suffers tendon injury after starring on England debut in 7-0 Croatia rout

Alex Scott’s England debut ended in bittersweet fashion after the Bournemouth midfielder suffered a tendon injury during Saturday’s record-breaking 7-0 win over Croatia, ruling him out of the Nations League fixture against Czechia and leaving him facing several weeks on the sidelines.

Scott, 23, had caught the eye with a composed and assured performance in his first senior start, helping create Harry Kane’s opening goal with a smart pass to Jude Bellingham. The injury was felt during the match itself, and Scott underwent treatment as the England squad flew back to the UK. Scans are expected to confirm the extent of the damage, with the hope that it proves to be a short-term setback rather than a long-term concern — though it remains a significant blow for both club and country.

The former Bristol City man had been called into England’s pre-tournament camp in Florida ahead of the summer World Cup, only to miss out on Thomas Tuchel’s final squad. Rather than letting that disappointment linger, Scott channelled it into motivation. “It gave me more hunger,” he said. “There are so many top players for this country — it’s a tough squad to get into. There were no bad feelings about not going to the World Cup. I went to the prep camp, I wanted to learn as much as I could, and it helped me coming into this camp.”

Scott added that the senior environment had felt welcoming from the start. “The lads and the group we’ve got here have made it so comfortable for me. I just want to go and play my normal football. I spoke to a few of the lads before the game and they said exactly that — ‘Go on and do what you do for your club, be confident, be brave’.”

Tuchel was quick to praise the midfielder’s impact and underlined the need for depth in central midfield, particularly with Declan Rice managing his own fitness. “We need performances like this,” the England head coach said after the Croatia win. “We will not survive on two central midfielders. The more the better. Declan knows about his importance — he’s one of the very best midfielders in Europe. But we need more variety, more options.”

The injury is a cruel interruption to what had been a breakthrough moment for Scott at international level, and Bournemouth will also be monitoring his recovery closely as the club season progresses.