Just days after making his first England start in Saturday's 7-0 thumping of Croatia in the UEFA Nations League, Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines
Bournemouth and England midfielder Alex Scott
Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott could be facing up to two months on the sidelines after suffering a severe injury in England's victory over Croatia on Saturday
Bournemouth midfielder and reported Liverpool transfer target Alex Scott is facing up to two months on the sidelines after sustaining a thigh injury in England's 7-0 win over Croatia.
The 23-year-old was handed his first start for the Three Lions in Saturday's UEFA Nations League mauling of their European counterparts in Rijeka, four days after making his debut in the 2-0 victory away to the Czech Republic, featuring for 70 minutes before being replaced by Everton's James Garner.
At the time, nothing was made of the substitution, but it has since been revealed that the Bournemouth starlet had asked to come off after feeling pain and has since had a scan to identify the issue.
Unfortunately, the scan has brought bad news, with Scott forced to leave the England camp ahead of Tuesday's final match against the Czech Republic at Wembley and return to Bournemouth for further assessment.
According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, however, the scan eventually revealed a severe tendon/quadriceps issue, with Scott now facing a spell on the sidelines that could potentially last six to eight weeks.
Reports have also revealed that England manager Thomas Tuchel had been assured by medical staff before kickoff at the weekend that the quad issue Scott was managing was not serious, therefore prompting the German to hand the player his full international debut.
Scott, however, actively played through discomfort for 70 minutes before ultimately asking to come off due to the pain, and has now effectively paid the price.
The former Bristol City man has been a shining light for Bournemouth at the start of this season, and his absence will come as a huge blow for the Cherries, especially as they face an extra demanding schedule this season after securing European football last term.
Marco Rose's side will play nine games ahead of the next international break in November, starting with a trip to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea in Premier League action on Saturday, and Scott could well end up missing all of them.
His injury concerns could also have implications for Liverpool, should the Reds look to pounce on his signature in the January transfer window, after being linked with Scott over the summer.
Alex Scott
It recently emerged that Bournemouth will refuse to sell Scott until next summer(Image: Getty Images)
While no official bid was made, head coach Andoni Iraola was believed to be keen on a potential reunion with his former Bournemouth player, and while the south coast club recently made clear that it will not be selling Scott until next summer at the earliest, Liverpool could still consider launching an ambitious offer in the new year to secure their man.
However, depending on the timeline of Scott's injury and recovery, the Reds may look to steer clear of any potential deal in January, especially given that Iraola will likely want to sign players who are fit and ready to make an impact from the get-go at that time of the season.
Other Premier League clubs with interest in Scott are Arsenal and Chelsea, with the latter seeing an $85 million (£64 million) bid for Scott rejected during the summer, after it fell way short of Bournemouth's $133 million (£100 million) valuation of the player.