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England's fast bowler Mark Wood says he is "quietly confident" about his fitness for the first Test of cricket's greatest rivalry down under.

Wood has not played following a Champions Trophy loss by Afghanistan in February and had an operation on a left knee injury this spring.

The Champions Trophy and tour of India which came before was the 35-year-old's return after an elbow problem that had kept him out since August 2024.

"The summer was disappointing," Wood explained. "I was unable to participate in any matches and my knee, at times, when it seemed I was nearly fit, it was not just quite there."

"I got knocked back on several occasions, but during the training camp progress has been positive. We've used the radar gun and my speed is increasing."

The first match of the Ashes starts on 21 November in Perth, with England seeking victory in their initial series win in Australia in over a decade.

"With luck, I'll be performing well, bowling well during warm-up matches and in net sessions, and can make my case for the first Test," Wood continued, who last played a Test versus Sri Lanka over a year back.

"The rehab hasn't just been a straight curve, it had its ups and downs, but now I'm in a better place where i'm hoping to kick on for that game."

"I avoid making statements where I say, 'I'm fully ready, I'm ready'. I'm in a confident place at the minute and feeling a lot more positive, so I'm cautiously hopeful."

Australian Fitness Concerns

Meanwhile, worries for Australia over the fitness of players have led to player Cameron Green being replaced by Marnus Labuschagne for the ODI series against India, which starts on Sunday.

The Aussies also have concerns over the condition of skipper Pat Cummins, who has not played since July because of lumbar bone stress in his back.

"Cameron Green has been ruled out of the [India] series after suffering low-grade side soreness at training this week," the cricket board stated.

"He will undergo a short period of rehabilitation and is expected to be back for the third round of domestic cricket to continue his preparation for the series."

The third round of the Sheffield Shield tournament is scheduled to start on 28 October.