More Minutes for Bournemouth Stars As International Schedule Continues

Ryan Christie was handed valuable minutes for Scotland's national football team on Saturday as they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Japan at Hampden Park.

The midfielder’s involvement will have been a welcome boost for Andoni Iraola who is still looking to ensure he returns to the energetic performance levels for Bournemouth that the Cherries faithful are used to seeing.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth’s international contingent continued to impress across Europe...

Veljko Milosavljević produced a standout display as Serbia national under-19 football team earned a 1-1 draw away to Portugal national under-19 football team in the UEFA European Under-19 Championship. The central defender not only marshalled the backline with authority but also made his mark at the other end, scoring Serbia’s only goal in an assured all-round performance - a decent point after their 2-0 victory against England in the previous game.

There was also a positive contribution from Alex Tóth, who played a pivotal role in Hungary's 1-0 victory over Slovenia in an international friendly in Budapest. His impact helped secure a narrow win. Interestingly, Tóth played in the number 10 position, a position Bournemouth need options for given Kluivert's injury and Kroupi's prematurely dropping out of the French squad (not thought to be serious).

Alex Jimenez played his part as Spain’s U21s preserved their flawless Euros qualifying record with a dominant 7-0 victory over Cyprus on Friday.

Introduced from the bench with just under 30 minutes remaining in Larnaca, Jimenez set up Joel Roca to help complete the emphatic win.

As reported yesterday, Marcos Senesi was involved in Argentina's 2-1 victory over Mauritania, and he might well have been watching on with pride yesterday as his partner Kelci Bowers, a key figure for the AFC Bournemouth Women's team, proudly lifted the National League Cup Trophy at Loftus Road, a victory secured after a Kenni Thompson first-half Olimpico corner.

Despite involvement with their respective countries for a number of Cherries, there may be a sense of frustration for Alex Scott, who was not selected for England national football team during this international break. The decision looks even more puzzling given the number of players who have since withdrawn from the squad.

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have both returned to Arsenal F.C. for medical assessment after only linking up with the England squad yesterday. Meanwhile, Noni Madueke, John Stones and Adam Wharton have also departed due to injury concerns. They are joined by Aaron Ramsdale, Fikayo Tomori and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who have all left the camp.

Given the number of withdrawals, Scott may feel he has been unfortunate not to earn a late call-up, particularly with opportunities emerging within the squad.

Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic remained on the bench as Serbia suffered a 3-0 defeat to Spain on Friday.

Meanwhille, Rayan is still awaiting his first Brazil appearance after being an unused substitute in their 2-1 friendly loss to France.

Plus, Amine Adli was also among the unused substitutes in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador, with their next match coming against Paraguay on Tuesday.