England, Dec 09 : England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series after suffering a recurrence of his left-knee injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Tuesday. The 35-year-old will return home to begin rehabilitation under the supervision of the ECB medical team.
Wood had made his return to Test cricket in the series opener in Perth after a nine-month layoff following knee surgery. Although he managed to bowl 11 overs in the match, claiming figures of 0-44, he later reported discomfort and pain in his left knee. He was subsequently ruled out of the second Test in Brisbane after being assessed by a specialist.
“England and Durham seamer Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes tour of Australia following a recurrence of the left-knee injury sustained during the first Test in Perth,” the ECB said in a statement. “He will return home later this week to work closely with the ECB medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery.”
England have named Matthew Fisher as Wood’s replacement in the squad. Fisher, who has been touring Australia with the England Lions, will join the senior team later this week. The right-arm seamer has played one Test for England, against the West Indies in March 2022, where he returned match figures of 1-21 from 27 overs.
Fisher has featured in three matches for the Lions this winter, picking up two wickets, including that of Zak Crawley during a pre-Ashes warm-up game at Lilac Hill.
For Wood, the latest injury setback adds to a career frequently disrupted by fitness concerns. Prior to the Perth Test, he had not featured in red-ball cricket for England in 15 months due to a prolonged elbow issue followed by knee surgery.