Arabic version: مارك وود يهدف للعودة هذا الصيف بعد إصابة في الركبة

Pace bowler Mark Wood is hoping to bowl later in the summer as he looks to come back from the knee injury that ruined his Ashes. Wood had surgery on his left knee in March 2025 and returned to play for England in the first Test against Australia in November, where he bowled only 11 overs before being ruled out for the rest of the series.

At 36 years old, Wood has faced multiple injuries throughout his 38-Test career. Prior to the Ashes, he had not played Test cricket for 15 months due to an elbow injury followed by the knee issue. “I need to take it slow,” Wood told the BBC’s Strategic Timeout programme. “Realistically I’ve got maybe one more chance at doing this right. If I rush it back, then it’s not good, that could be it.” According to BBC News, he remains focused on adding to his 146 caps across all formats.

Wood’s absence is particularly notable given the ongoing changes in England’s pace bowling lineup. If he cannot return to Test cricket, he will join fellow bowlers James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Chris Woakes in stepping away from the longest format of the game. Together, these four players have accumulated 1,619 Test wickets over the years.

England’s first Test of the home summer is against New Zealand, beginning on 4 June. The team faces additional challenges, with Brydon Carse potentially missing out due to a broken wrist and Jofra Archer’s availability in question after his stint in the Indian Premier League. New faces like Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson are expected to compete for spots in the squad, while Matthew Potts and Matthew Fisher were part of the Ashes squad. Tom Lawes, a promising player with an England development deal, is currently sidelined with an injury.