England’s hopes of mounting an Ashes fightback were dashed by news that fast bowler Mark Wood will miss the rest of the series with a left knee injury, with Matthew Fisher being called into the squad in his place.
Wood, 35, is suffering a repeat of the problems he suffered in the eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the first Test in Perth last month.
Durham Quicks then suffered an eight-wicket loss at The Gabba in the second Test, but did not play in the remaining three matches, with the first starting on 17 December at Adelaide Oval.
Wood will return to England later this week and will work closely with the ECB’s medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery.
‘I’ll push myself to the limit’ Wood says he’s determined to play for England again
He wrote on Instagram: “Disappointed to be away from the rest of the Ashes. After extensive surgery and months of work and rehabilitation to get back into the Test arena, my knee just wasn’t holding up.
“None of us expected this. I came here with high expectations to make a big impact.
“We are very disappointed that despite further injections and intensive treatment, it has become clear that the knee recurrence is more serious than feared.
“I’m really disappointed that we didn’t perform as expected, but it’s not because we don’t want to try. I still believe we can turn things around. We will never give up. Come on, England.”
Injury is the latest setback for the seamer, whose career has been marred by injury – the Perth Test was his first competitive match since February following knee surgery – and his age will always lead to questions about his future in England.
But Wood is determined to return, adding: “No matter what happens, I will continue to push the limits to get back. The last few months have been tough, but I remain determined to do it well once again.”
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England captain Ben Stokes says his team is still hopeful of winning the Ashes despite losing 2-0 to Australia.
‘His body continues to let him down’ – Hussain on Wood’s injury setback
Nasser Hussain from Sky Sports Cricket:
“It’s a big blow for the team and for me personally.
“Because the team wants to make sure that all the bowlers are available, especially for the last three Tests which will be played one after the other. There has been a big gap so far, but it will get bigger and faster after the third Test.”
“England may not have had Wood and Jofra Archer back, but if Archer needed a rest Wood could have come in, but that’s not possible now.
Wood is expected to return to the UK later this week to begin his rehabilitation and recovery.
“It’s also a blow for Wood. He’s a very likeable player and gives his all every time he plays for England. He’s very popular in the team but his body continues to let him down.
“He came back from another injury after eight or nine months of rehabilitation. The hamstring broke in the warm-up, the knee broke in the first test, and now he’s back for further rehabilitation. It’s soul-destroying for him.”
“He’s been there for 10 years and played 38 Tests. He’s going to be very depressed now and I hope this isn’t the last time we see him in a Test. He’ll be 36 next month and it’s very difficult to keep coming back from injury at that age.”
Fisher joins England squad following Wood’s injury
Surrey seamer Fisher is in Australia with the Lions team.
Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher played his only Test for England so far in the West Indies in March 2022
Fisher has picked up two wickets in three games for the Lions this winter, including that of Zac Crawley LBW when the England second-teamer played against the senior team in a pre-Ashes warm-up match at Lilac Hill.
The 28-year-old posted figures of 0-105 from 31 overs as the Lions lost an innings and 127 runs to Australia A at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field last week.
Fisher has previously played one Test for England in the West Indies in March 2022, where he recorded 1-21 from 27 overs, with John Campbell taking his first and so far only Test wicket.
Hussain said of the former Yorkshire bowler: “He’s over six feet tall and has good speed. He didn’t take many wickets for the Lions, but he bowled brilliantly in last season’s County Championship final match, taking 11 wickets against Surrey and Nottinghamshire.”
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Sky Sports pundits Hussain and Michael Atherton react to England’s defeat in the second Ashes Test against Australia
What are England’s plans ahead of the third Ashes Test?
The England squad will not have any cricket practice and will head on a pre-planned holiday in Noosa.
The team will then fly to Adelaide on Saturday and train on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday ahead of the third Test in South Australia, which begins the following day.
England are winless in their last 17 Tests in Australia, losing 15 and drawing two, following a poor start to the series after 5-0 in 2013-14 and 4-0 in 2017-18 and 2021-22.
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Former England assistant coach Paul Favres reflects on his team’s reaction to the heavy defeat at the Gabba and whether changes need to be made ahead of the third Test in Adelaide.
Joe Root scored his first Ashes Hundred away in the bottom of Australia’s 30th innings in a pink-ball match in Brisbane, but he was also part of a team that had lost the last three tours and is yet to win a domestic Test.
Since Australia in 1936-37, no Test team has come back from two defeats to win a five-match series, underscoring the magnitude of England’s task as they aim to win their first series in Australia since a 3-1 win under Sir Andrew Strauss in 2010-11.
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Nasser says England need to prove themselves after succumbing to pressure in Ashes defeats in Perth and Brisbane
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