Wood set for surgery next week

Mark Wood will undergo ankle surgery next week after the ECB decided it had to pursue a long-term solution to the problem which he has managed through the first six months of his international career.

He was left out of the final Test against Pakistan, in Sharjah, as part of the ongoing management of his left ankle after he had received a cortisone injection following the match in Dubai, where he produced his most impressive performance in an England shirt.

Wood had previously missed the third Test against Australia, at Edgbaston, due to the problem and Alastair Cook said that he had never been expected to play all three Tests against Pakistan.

After the Test series finished, Wood was also ruled out of the limited-overs leg of the tour with a decision taken that he would return home for further specialist advice on the ankle. The outcome has been surgery, which Wood knew he would probably face the prospect of eventually, with a recovery time expected of at least eight weeks.

That makes it unlikely that he will be ready for the one-day series against South Africa, which starts at the end of January, with a more realistic aim being available for the selection for the T20s in February and the World T20 in India during March.

"I've had that many injuries so far in my short career that I never want to be thrown out of the team," Wood said in August. "Long term, the ankle problem may need some work done to it - whether that's time off or maybe an operation. That might be the case. It's about fitting it in at the right time."

Meanwhile, Steven Finn, who has been ruled out of the Test series in South Africa with the stress injury in his foot which kept him out of the contests against Pakistan, hopes to be available for the later part of the tour.

"Reports of my South Africa tour being written off completely. Not the case, I am hoping to be available sooner rather than later," Finn tweeted on Wednesday evening.

An ECB statement said: "Wood will undergo ankle surgery next week and Finn will continue his recovery from a bone stress injury. Further details on their rehabilitation and back-to-bowling programmes will be provided in due course."

The injuries to Wood and Finn, plus the omission of Liam Plunkett, mean there has been a large turnover in the support pace bowling to James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan and the uncapped Mark Footitt are now vying for the third frontline quick slot to make a four-man pace attack alongside Ben Stokes, who has been passed fit after his collarbone injury in the final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah.

The combination of Wood, Finn and Plunkett had 168 Test wicket between them; Woakes, Jordan and Footitt provide 27.