Mark Wood to miss England's Test summer after knee surgery

England's express bowler Mark Wood has undergone surgery for a left knee injury and is expected to miss all of England's home Test matches this summer. The 35-year-old has been ruled out of action until late July, roughly coinciding with the end of England's five-Test series against India. This prolonged absence will allow him ample time to recover and rehabilitate properly.

This means Wood may not play Test cricket again until the Ashes tour in Australia in November. Wood's injury is undoubtedly a major blow for England, especially with two important Test series this year. Head coach Brendon McCullum and Test captain Ben Stokes both favor high-pace bowling, and now they have lost their fastest bowler, raising questions about Wood's ability to return against Australia. The team will need to adjust their strategies in his absence.

Given that Wood is arguably England's first-choice express bowler in Test cricket, this injury further casts doubt on the wisdom of playing him in the Champions Trophy. Jofra Archer, who has not played Test cricket since 2021, is struggling to regain fitness for white-ball cricket. Meanwhile, Brydon Carse suffered a foot problem in the Champions Trophy and was subsequently ruled out of the Indian Premier League, while Josh Tongue is also just recovering from over a year on the sidelines. These injuries are creating a significant challenge for the team's pace attack.

An England team statement said that Wood "has been managing a persistent issue for over a year" but that he "experienced increased stiffness and discomfort" during the Champions Trophy. Wood struggled with his injury in the loss to Afghanistan and subsequently missed the final match against South Africa. The Champions Trophy and the preceding tour of India were Wood's comeback after recovering from an elbow injury that had kept him out of action since last August. The team is taking a cautious approach to his recovery to prevent further setbacks.

Wood said: "I'm absolutely gutted to be missing so much cricket for England after finally getting back into all formats of the game since the start of last year. But I have complete faith that, by sorting out the knee, I'll be back to my best." He added: "I want to thank the surgeon, the doctors, the staff, my England teammates and coaches for their support – and of course the fans. I can't wait to get back out there and contribute to what is going to be a massive couple of years for us as a team in 2025." He is focused on a full recovery and contributing to the team's future success.

England will play a standalone Test match against Zimbabwe in May before the series against India begins in late June.