The Ashes 2025-26: England pace bowler Mark Wood set to miss second Test

England fast bowler Mark Wood is set to miss the crucial second Ashes Test in Brisbane because of concerns over his left knee.

Wood only returned from a nine-month absence following surgery on the same left knee in England’s first-Test defeat in Perth last week.

The 35-year-old bowled 11 overs in the match as England were beaten by Australia inside two days – the first two-day Ashes Test in 104 years.

Wood missed England’s first training session in Brisbane on Saturday morning, the only one of the 13 players in Queensland not to be present at Allan Border Field.

Josh Tongue would be the most likely candidate to take Wood’s place in the England XI for the second Test, a day-night match at the Gabba which starts on Thursday.

Tongue is one of three England players – alongside fellow seamer Matthew Potts and batter Jacob Bethell – who have been sent to play for England Lions against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra this weekend.

A further injury setback for Wood is a huge blow to the Durham man and England. It could even raise questions about his international future.

One of the fastest bowlers to ever play for England, Wood has a chequered injury history. Before Perth he had not played a Test for 15 months, firstly because of an elbow problem, then the surgery on his left knee.

When he made his on-field comeback prior to the first Test, against England Lions in an Ashes warm-up match, Wood managed eight overs before suffering tightness in his left hamstring.

Scans cleared him of any concern in the hamstring and he was passed fit to play in Perth, where he had match figures of 0-44.

Wood’s availability helped England execute a long-standing plan to unleash high pace on Australia in this Ashes.

By fielding a five-man pace attack at Perth Stadium, England recorded their fastest collective day of bowling in Test cricket on the opening day of the series.

But England’s speeds dropped on day two, as Australia raced to an eight-wicket victory in their second innings.

Speaking prior to the news of Wood’s injury, former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie said he was «concerned about the robustness» of 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?» Gillespie told Stumped on BBC World Service.

«That is the big question mark for me.»

Wood’s absence would be keenly felt by England in the day-night conditions at the Gabba – a ground where they have not won since 1986.

England have a poor record in floodlit Tests, having won only two of their previous seven, including three defeats in Australia.

Australia have won 13 of their 14 day-night matches and, in Mitchell Starc, have the best pink-ball bowler in the world.

The pink ball does not behave differently to its red counterpart, but can be harder to see under lights.

Part of Starc’s success in pink-ball matches is the number of deliveries he bowls over 87mph and Wood, England’s fastest option, took nine wickets when he last played a day-night Test against Australia in Hobart in 2022.

Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, former England seamer Stuart Broad said: «There’s something about the pink ball, you just can’t pick it up quite as well. You get no clues as well, so the seam is black against the pink background, whereas with a red ball and white seam you might see Mitchell Starc’s in-swinger coming back into the stumps or scrambling around.

«It’s just the lights are reflecting off the pink ball so it’s almost like a big planet coming flying towards you.

«It means you’re just judging it from the movement off the surface or reading off the movement of the ball, but at such pace it’s quite difficult to do.»