England and Australia are reshaping their plans for the Ashes 2025-26 after twin fast-bowling setbacks. England will play the remaining Tests without Mark Wood, while Australia lose Josh Hazlewood. England trail 2-0 after defeats in Perth and Brisbane, adding pressure before the third Test in Adelaide.
Australia manage mixed news within the same series. Hazlewood's fresh injury ends any chance of involvement, but Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon are expected back. Usman Khawaja is also likely to regain fitness. Mitchell Starc leads the wicket charts with 18 from two Tests, despite carrying a minor left-side niggle.
Ashes 2025-26 injuries and squad changes
Wood's withdrawal stems from a flare-up in the left knee that required surgery earlier this year. The 35-year-old returned to Tests at Perth
but bowled only 11 wicketless overs before reporting serious discomfort. The problem affects the same knee injury that ended Wood's Champions Trophy campaign in February.
Subsequent medical checks showed Wood would not recover in time for the rest of the tour. The ECB confirmed Wood will fly home this week and begin rehabilitation with the board's medical staff. England must now plan without one of the squad's quickest and most experienced seamers for Adelaide and beyond.
Ashes 2025-26 England squad overview
To cover Wood's absence, England have promoted Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher from the touring England Lions group. Fisher has played one Test, against West Indies in 2022, and has recent match time in Australia. Fisher took two wickets in three Lions fixtures but understands local conditions, making Fisher the immediate backup for the visitors.
| England player | Role |
|---|---|
| Ben Stokes | Captain, all-rounder |
| Jamie Smith | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Fisher, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse | Pace bowlers |
| Shoaib Bashir, Will Jacks | Spin options |
| Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell | Batters |
England's start to the marquee series has been difficult. Eight-wicket defeats in both Perth and Brisbane exposed weaknesses in batting and bowling. Without Wood, the pace workload increases on Archer, Atkinson, Tongue and Potts. England need rapid improvement in Adelaide to keep the Ashes 2025-26 contest alive.
Ashes 2025-26 Australia pace attack management
On Australia's side, Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2025-26 Ashes series. Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the news on Tuesday (December 9). Hazlewood had been working back from a hamstring strain sustained during last month's Sheffield Shield before aggravating an Achilles injury last week.
The new setback ends Hazlewood's hopes of facing England this summer. The right-arm quick will instead aim to return for Australia's T20 World Cup campaign in February. Reflecting on Hazlewood's frustration, McDonald said, "Really flat for him," McDonald said. "A couple of setbacks that we didn't see coming. We thought he'd play a huge part in the series, so we really feel for him that he won't get that opportunity. "
| Australia player | Status for Ashes 2025-26 |
|---|---|
| Josh Hazlewood | Ruled out, Achilles and hamstring issues |
| Pat Cummins | Expected to return as captain in Adelaide |
| Nathan Lyon | Tipped to play final three Tests |
| Mitchell Starc | Available, minor left-side niggle managed |
| Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett, Jhye Richardson | Rotation and backup pace options |
Cummins has not played since July because of a lower-back issue but has undergone strong preparation. Match-simulation spells at Allan Border Field impressed team staff, and Cummins is expected to rejoin the squad and resume the captaincy in Adelaide, taking over from Steve Smith as on-field leader.
Lyon is also likely to feature in the last three Tests after missing the pink-ball match in Brisbane. Starc, who tops the series wicket tally with 18 from two matches, carried a slight left-side niggle through the Gabba fixture but remains available. Australia watch workloads closely during the tight closing schedule.
