Bournemouth celebrate
Bournemouth celebrate during their win over Real Sociedad(Image: Ander Gillenea/AFP)
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Alex Scott is set to miss six to eight weeks with a quadriceps injury in an enormous blow for the Chelsea transfer target.
The Bournemouth midfielder, who remains of serious interest to the Blues after they failed in their attempts to sign him in the summer transfer window, is expected to face a lengthy lay-off - including Saturday afternoon's trip to Stamford Bridge.
Scott has been excellent at the start of the season and shone for England during his full debut in the 7-0 win over Croatia on Saturday. The 23-year-old is understood to have felt something in his quad prior to the victory over Croatia but still played the best part of 70 minutes in Rijeka.
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Scott will now return to Bournemouth to get further assessment and explore the full extent of the injury.
The Cherries travel to west London at the weekend to take on Chelsea without one of their star players. Scott has been a revelation for Bournemouth since signing from Bristol City in the summer of 2023 and has in turn been linked with a host of the Premier League's top clubs.
Liverpool and Arsenal have both been credited with an interest in the Guernsey-born England international, with the former now being managed by former Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola.
Chelsea are also very interested in Scott after missing out on the midfielder during the summer transfer window. Sources close to the situation say the Blues failed with a £64million offer in July, with Bournemouth adamant he was not for sale.
The Cherries kept their stubborn stance throughout the transfer window and ended up keeping Scott. While Chelsea are considering a January move for the Bournemouth midfielder, it seems highly unlikely that Marco Rose's team would sanction a mid-season departure.
Alex Scott
Alex Scott is liked by Chelsea(Image: Michael Regan - The FA)
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Either way, Chelsea could try their luck and if they were to fail, they could return the following summer. Scott has less than two years remaining on his contract at the Vitality Stadium with Bournemouth keen to tie him down to an extension on his existing deal.
The Blues are keen to add another central midfielder to their ranks after Enzo Fernandez's £125m move to Manchester City on deadline day. Lamine Camara of AS Monaco remains on the club's radar after missing out on the Senegal international in bizarre circumstances in the summer.