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Mark Wood ready for action after getting all-clear on ankle injury

Fast bowler plays down fitness worries as he prepares to get back up to full speed in England's World Cup opener

Mark Wood says he was right to be safe rather than sorry so close to the start of the World Cup, after he was cleared of serious injury following a scan on his troublesome left ankle.
Wood, one of two England bowlers who regularly generate pace in excess of 90 mph - Jofra Archer is the other - pulled up during his fourth over of the warm-up match against Australia in Southampton on Saturday. Given his history of foot and ankle problems, there was some trepidation in the England camp when he was subsequently sent for scans.
But those scans came back clear on the morning of England's second warm-up game against Afghanistan at The Oval on Monday. Though he took no part in the game, he came through a training session unscathed, and expects to be fully fit and available to play in the World Cup opener, on the same ground, against South Africa on Thursday.
"I wasn't worried about the scan because I knew it was precautionary," said Wood after the Afghanistan match. "I probably could have carried on bowling, but I didn't want to take any risks with it, when I knew what was round the corner - especially with my background.
"So I said to Jos 'I have felt something, can I go off and get it checked'. The medics didn't want me to go back on."
The caution was fully understandable, given that Wood has undergone three bouts of ankle surgery since his England debut in 2015, and had been limited to just 13.1 overs of competitive action since the start of the English season.
But Wood showed no signs of rustiness in his England comeback against Pakistan earlier this month, and is confident that he'll be ready to hit the ground running when the tournament proper begins later this week.
"I had jarred my foot landing when I bowled a slower ball," he explained. "It felt a bit weird and I thought I might have actually tweaked the bottom bit of my foot, but the scans come back clear and couldn't have been any better - just a jar on my knee.
"I was a bit unsure of how I would go to today, starting running again, but I had a run-around this morning and felt it good. That was a tick in the box. Then I had a light bowl - that felt fine. Then I had a bit of heavier bowl whilst the lads were playing football and that felt absolutely fine. If anything I just need to get it on the ice machine 24/7 for next couple of days."
Asked if he felt anxious about running in at full tilt in spite of all his injury concerns, Wood said that he knew his body well enough to recognise when he was facing a real issue.
"Yes and no," he said. "Yes, because I have had lots of problems there before, but no because this was in a different place. The ankle problems I get is in the front left of my ankle and this was on the back and a bit higher.
"I will fully join in with practice on Wednesday and then ready to go on Thursday if selected.
"I would have liked to have had a few more overs under my belt but it's not a huge concern," he added. "I am getting the volume I can in the nets and that is as good as it can be at the minute - I can't do anything about not playing."
England also had good news about the fitness of their captain, Eoin Morgan. Morgan was diagnosed with a small fracture in a finger on Thursday, but had recovered sufficiently to lead the team in Monday's match, although in the 12-a-side contest he chose not to field and was not called upon to bat.
Adil Rashid, who missed Saturday's game with a shoulder injury, also had his first competitive work-out since the Pakistan series, bowling six overs in Afghanistan's innings of 160.
Chris Woakes, who played as a specialist batsman on Saturday, also took a full part as a bowler against Afghanistan, as did Jofra Archer, a man with whom Wood may compete for a share of the new ball on Thursday.
"I've enjoyed it," said Wood of bowling with Archer. "Even sat on the bench today, it's good watching fast bowling. Even better when you are at the other end. When I was at mid-off and we were talking through plans, it is a nice feeling seeing people hopping round.
"It is the partnership we want to develop. Obviously Woakes has cemented his place as an opening bowler over the years but if we get the chance to bowl together it will be exciting to bowl with Jofra again."

George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo