Euro nears 2-yr high as ECB flags autumn tightening talk

* Analysts say ECB not worried about euro strength

* Bond yields rise briefly on Draghi comments (Updates after euro surges to almost 2-year high, adds more comment)

By Patrick Graham and John Geddie

LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - The euro jetted to an almost two-year high on Thursday after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi said officials would discuss possible changes to its bond-buying scheme this autumn.

Though Draghi set no date for changes to the scheme and said rate-setters had been unanimous in their decision not to change their guidance on monetary policy, investors reckoned the discussions would lead to monetary tightening next year.

That drove an initial rise for the euro to around $1.1570 , a move analysts said was fuelled by the fact that Draghi did not dwell on the currency's strength.

"In all probability tapering will occur as we head into 2018 and we have seen no substantive challenge to that expectation in today's meeting. Hence the currency has received some support," Richard McGuire, a senior strategist at Rabobank, said.

He added that the euro was also rising probably due to the fact that Draghi noted the single currency’s appreciation had received attention but "provided no pushback to this strengthening despite having the perfect opportunity to do so".

The euro gained almost another cent against the dollar in the hour that followed the meeting - helped by a report of a widening inquiry into President Donald Trump's business affairs - taking it to its highest since August 2015 at $1.1659.

"The first leg was about Draghi but the second leg up in the euro has been U.S.-related, given that we've had reports of more probes into Trump," said Lisa Scott-Smith, co-head of portfolio management with currency fund Millennium Global in London.

Against sterling, the euro climbed 1.4 percent to an eight-month high of 89.76 pence.

Germany's 10-year bond yield - the bloc's benchmark - climbed 2 basis points to a day's high of 0.56 percent after Draghi's comments but by 1530 GMT was flat at 0.54 percent. Euro zone stocks were a touch lower on the day

"I think a positive outlook of the economy and expectations of stimulus withdrawal in the autumn, and perhaps confirmation of the fact that we will have more explicit tightening then, is driving the euro and bond yields higher," said Alexandra Russell-Oliver, an FX strategist at Caxton FX in London.

Markets still expect the ECB to raise rates next year, though they now bet that a hike could come later than initially anticipated.

Euro zone money markets price in roughly a 70 percent chance of a 10-basis-point hike in rates by next July, having fully priced in a move a week ago. A rise by October is fully priced in by markets. (Reporting by Jemima Kelly, Patrick Graham, John Geddie and Abhinav Ramnarayan; editing by Mark Heinrich)