England fast bowler Mark Wood will likely miss the second Ashes Test in Brisbane due to concerns over his left knee. The 35-year-old, who recently returned from a nine-month absence following surgery on the same knee, bowed out of England's first training session in Brisbane without participating.
Wood has had an injury-plagued season so far and had to withdraw from the England Lions match against the Prime Minister's XI this weekend, alongside fellow seamer Matthew Potts. Josh Tongue is expected to replace Wood in the England XI for the second Test at the Gabba on Thursday.
England are facing a significant challenge with Australia having won 13 of their 14 day-night matches and boasting the best pink-ball bowler in Mitchell Starc. The absence of Wood, who took nine wickets in his last pink-ball match against Australia in Hobart in 2022, would be a huge blow to England's attack.
Speaking prior to the news of Wood's injury, former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie expressed concerns over England's attack. "Do they have enough work in the bank to be fit and strong enough to bowl consistently high pace across the course of a whole match and then back it up in subsequent matches?" he asked.
Wood has had an injury-plagued season so far and had to withdraw from the England Lions match against the Prime Minister's XI this weekend, alongside fellow seamer Matthew Potts. Josh Tongue is expected to replace Wood in the England XI for the second Test at the Gabba on Thursday.
England are facing a significant challenge with Australia having won 13 of their 14 day-night matches and boasting the best pink-ball bowler in Mitchell Starc. The absence of Wood, who took nine wickets in his last pink-ball match against Australia in Hobart in 2022, would be a huge blow to England's attack.
Speaking prior to the news of Wood's injury, former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie expressed concerns over England's attack. "Do they have enough work in the bank to be fit and strong enough to bowl consistently high pace across the course of a whole match and then back it up in subsequent matches?" he asked.
still gotta think its a challenge for them to beat australia at the moment, their pink ball attack is looking pretty solid 
and even without wood, josh tongue should be able to hold his own 
fingers crossed england can get some decent work done in practice before the second test 
. I mean, one minute he's fine, the next he's limping around like a dodgy ankle 
. And now we're hearing that he might miss the second Ashes Test? That's just too convenient for Australia's sake 
. Maybe they've got something to do with it, you know? A rival nation trying to get an upper hand on their opponents by taking out one of their top bowlers? It's just a theory, but I wouldn't rule it out 
. And what's with all these pink-ball matches, anyway? Is it just a coincidence that Australia's got the best bowler for this format and England's struggling to keep up? 
... just kidding, kinda 
. but seriously, with Wood out, England's gotta rely on Josh Tongue to step up and save the day 
. I feel for him, getting replaced by a rookie, it's like being relegated to the bench 
. and Jason Gillespie is right tho, their attack does look kinda shaky 
. but you never know, maybe they'll pull off some magic 
... or maybe Australia will just keep winning 13 out of 14 
... either way, it's gonna be a wild ride! 
, that guy's speed and accuracy would've caused some trouble for Australia... I mean, who else can bowl 145 km/h? 
The Aussies have got some serious talent on their team and losing someone as consistent as Wood is a big blow. England needs to bring in another strong bowler ASAP or they're gonna struggle 
Australia is gonna have a field day with their pink ball bowlers, especially Starc. England's attack is looking a bit shakier than I'd like... 
! Maybe they can find a way to get Josh Tongue to fill in for Wood, but it's just not the same 
.
Is anyone gonna step up and take his place in the team? I hope Josh Tongue does alright, but I'm not sure if he can fill Wood's shoes 
. England needs to get its act together ASAP or it's gonna be a long Ashes series 
. Jason Gillespie was right on point though, they need to have that depth in the team to handle these tough conditions. Josh Tongue stepping up is a good move, but it's not gonna be easy for him 
.
. He took some serious wickets last time they played Australia under pink ball conditions and now we're told he might not even make it to Brisbane 
. It's a huge blow, especially considering all those day-night matches the Aussies have been winning 13-0... no pressure or anything 
. England needs Wood's skills if they wanna give the Aussies a run for their money 
. Poor Josh Tongue is gonna have to step up and fill those shoes – good luck to him, but it's gonna be tough