Mark Wood ruled out of Ashes as knee injury ends England pacer's campaign
England’s Ashes campaign has taken another hit with the loss of one of their key fast bowlers due to injury. Mark Wood will play no further part in the series after his troublesome knee issue flared up again following the first Test.
Mark Wood’s knee injury ends Ashes campaign
Mark Wood has been ruled out for the rest of the Ashes series after a recurrence of his left-knee injury that first troubled him during the opening Test in Perth. The 35-year-old pacer bowled just 11 overs in that match, regularly clocking speeds above 150 km/h and troubling Australian batters, but could not take a wicket. He then missed the second Test in Brisbane as England went down 2-0 in the five-match series.
Wood had undergone surgery on the same knee in March after sustaining the injury during the ICC Champions Trophy earlier in 2025. He worked for seven months to recover and regain fitness for the Ashes, but the knee simply did not hold up under the intensity of Test cricket. Despite further injections and intensive medical care, scans revealed that the flare-up was worse than initially feared.
Wood shared his disappointment on social media, saying he was “heartbroken” and “gutted” to be missing the remainder of the series after arriving with high hopes of making a big contribution. He will now return home later this week and work closely with the England and Wales Cricket Board medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery.
Matthew Fisher called up as replacement
Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher has been added to the England Test squad as Wood’s replacement. Fisher, who is already in Australia with the England Lions, will link up with the senior squad this week ahead of the third Test in Adelaide starting December 17.
The 27-year-old fast bowler has played just one Test for England so far, against the West Indies in 2022. Standing six-foot-two with a high release point, Fisher will add some pace depth to an England attack that is desperate to get back into the series. England will hope his arrival provides some strength as they look to stay alive in the Ashes after losing the first two Tests.
England trailing 2-0 and under pressure
England find themselves in a difficult position, trailing 2-0 after just six days of cricket across the first two Tests. Australia dominated the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, taking full control and leaving England with no room for error.
The tourists now need to win the third Test in Adelaide to keep their Ashes hopes alive. If they fail to do so, they could be staring at an embarrassing whitewash, according to Australia legend Glenn McGrath. England are currently on a break in Noosa and will resume training on Sunday before the Adelaide Test begins on Wednesday, December 17 at 11:30 AM local time (00:00 GMT).
Australia also dealing with bowling injuries
Interestingly, Australia are also missing key pace bowlers from their lineup. Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out for the rest of the series with his own injury concerns. Captain Pat Cummins has also been unavailable, forcing Australia to rely on their back-up seamers.
Despite these absences, Australia’s bowling depth has shone through. Stand-in pacers Michael Neser and Brendon Doggett have performed well, and the hosts are on the brink of retaining the Ashes after strong showings in Perth and Brisbane. They need just a draw in Adelaide to keep the famous urn.