England’s Ashes campaign has suffered a significant setback as fast bowler Mark Wood is reportedly set to miss the second Test against Australia in Brisbane. Concerns over his left knee have led to his absence from the team’s initial training session in the Queensland capital. Wood remained at the hotel to rest the injury, while the rest of the squad participated in an optional practice. With four days of training remaining, including sessions under lights at the Gabba, the likelihood of Wood featuring in the day-night Test appears slim. This injury adds to Wood’s well-documented history of physical struggles. The 35-year-old paceman had undergone surgery on the same knee in March and also dealt with a hamstring issue during pre-series warm-ups. Despite being cleared to play, he bowled only 11 overs in the first Test in Perth, visibly struggling with strapping on his knee. Although he went wicketless in the first Test, Wood still demonstrated impressive pace, reaching 93mph and unsettling Australia’s Cameron Green. However, his speed appeared to diminish during Australia’s chase. Should Wood be ruled out, Josh Tongue is the frontrunner to replace him in the England playing XI for the upcoming day-night encounter. Tongue, along with Matthew Potts and Jacob Bethell, is currently in Canberra participating in a Lions match as preparation for the Test series. Tongue bowled without taking a wicket in his 16 overs on Saturday, while Potts claimed two wickets. The Prime Minister’s XI declared at 308 for eight, and the England Lions were 30 without loss at stumps.
