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England are likely to be dealt a huge blow ahead of the second Ashes Test, as pacer Mark Wood is set to be ruled out of the Brisbane contest, as per ESPNcricinfo.
The Three Lions aim to manage the fast bowler carefully for the rest of the Ashes. Wood featured in an all-pace attack during the opening Test in Perth, marking his first competitive match in nearly nine months following knee surgery in March to repair medial ligament damage. Notably, Wood had already been under an injury cloud ahead of the Perth Test after being sent for scans on his hamstring, and while those came back clear, the 35-year-old is now dealing with an issue with his left knee. The second Ashes Test, a pink-ball fixture, is set to be played at The Gabba in Brisbane, starting on Thursday. England's heavy loss in Perth was so rapid that the match wrapped up in just two days, with Wood bowling only 11 overs in total and finishing with figures of 0 for 44. Just three of those overs came in the second innings, where Travis Head's explosive century powered Australia to their target of 205 in only 28.2 overs. As per ESPNcricinfo, Wood's absence from England's opening training session at Allan Border Field on Saturday--before the pink-ball Test--suggests he is being rested as the tourists look to recover from their 1-0 deficit. If all goes smoothly, he is expected to be available again for the third Test in Adelaide, which starts on December 17. Notably, Wood was England's best bowler on the 2021-22 tour (17 wickets at 26.64), and he took nine wickets in the final Test at Hobart - England's last pink-ball match in Australia. With him being rested, Josh Tongue is likely to take his spot. (ANI)
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