Will Strictly Come Dancing's Neil Jones return to dance with Alex Scott this Saturday?

By Naomi Bartram

Strictly’s Neil Jones has been forced to miss the last few shows after a nasty injury.

Strictly Come Dancing star Neil Jones has been forced to miss two weeks of live shows after injuring his calf during rehearsals.

The professional dancer, 37, had to call in fellow pro dancer Kevin Clifton, 37, to dance with his partner Alex Scott while he rested up.

While Neil previously said he was feeling "positive" about the likelihood of returning this weekend, with just hours to go he’s given another update.

Team Red all the way. I want to thank @keviclifton for being not just the professional we all know but for being a great friend and for always going that extra mile. @alexscott2 you have been an inspiration this week, you have supported me every step of the way and I could never have wished for a better partner in my life right now. No matter if I can dance or not This Saturday night I know you will go out there and dance a fantastic jive with a smile on your face and I can’t wait for everyone to see what you can do. . #teamred #strictly

A post shared by Neil Jones (@mr_njonesofficial) on Nov 7, 2019 at 11:56am PST

Will Neil perform on this week’s Strictly?

Appearing on Strictly’s It Takes Two on Thursday evening Neil admitted othat a final decision still hasn't been made.

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"I'm really hoping. I still don't know," he admitted. "I've been dancing a lot today. I've been doing that. It's been feeling good, but I need to be passed by the physio."

Neil will have that exam with the physio on Friday (November 8), which means Alex will only have one day before showtime to know whether she’s dancing with her original partner or Kevin.

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"I've been dancing with both, and Neil will make the decision," the football player explained.

"If he's 100%, I know he will go out there and dance. Actually, I just want to say how frustrating it's been for Neil.

"Just hearing everybody speak about me dancing with Kev, and this guy is amazing! I want to be at the level that I'm at with him right now. Whether I'm dancing with Neil or I'm dancing with Kev, they are both amazing guys."

Kevin, then went on to praise Alex for all her work, as he added: "It was difficult for Alex we were chatting about this today.

"If you're not a dancer you don't understand how different it is dancing with different people.

"She' had to flip between the two of us and she did it so brilliantly."

How did Neil get injured?

Neil sustained a painful injury during Halloween week rehearsals.

It’s believed to be either a torn knee ligament or a pulled calf muscle, which can take up to six weeks for a full recovery.

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