Wood faces up to prospect of ankle operation

Mark Wood has spent the last week trying to soak up the experience of being the bowler who took the Ashes-winning wicket for England when he dismissed Nathan Lyon at Trent Bridge. However, on the horizon are the less palatable realities that he may miss out on the final Investec Test at The Oval due to the congestion among England's quicks and could also require surgery on the ankle problem that has plagued him throughout his short career.

It is almost impossible to wipe the smile off Wood's face, and the memory of that moment when Lyon's stumps were splattered will stay with him forever, but he has conceded, having sought specialist advice, that the pain management that currently goes into keeping him serviceable - "it doesn't hurt as much when I take the pills the doctor gives us" - may not be the long-term solution.

"I've had that many injuries so far in my short career that I never want to be thrown out of the team," he said. "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."

In the shorter term, Wood's place for the final Test of the season will come under scrutiny should James Anderson recover from the side strain that kept him out of the fourth Test. Anderson bowled on an adjacent pitch before having a stint in the nets themselves, having also bowled yesterday.

"Jimmy has 400 Test wickets, he's England's leading bowler - he had a bowl yesterday and seemed fine - but I'm going to prepare as I have every other game. I'm sure everyone would want Jimmy in the side so if he's fit he probably gets the nod."

Wood has emerged in all three formats during the season, beginning with his ODI debut against Ireland before his first Test against New Zealand at Lord's and he also played in the T20 side. It would seem unlikely that will remain a viable workload if he is to enjoy more than a fleeting international career.

His problem stems from ankle impingements, a common complaint for fast bowlers, which have caused significant inflammation and led to him requiring a cortisone injection earlier this series in order to be fit for Trent Bridge where he returned in place of the injured Anderson.

Wood admitted he had started to struggle during the Lord's Test as back-to-back fixtures at the start of the series took their toll, but he was able to sustain his pace at Trent Bridge when he was handed the new ball, even if Australia's woeful batting meant his workload was limited.

"So far I've managed my ankle well in this series and that's been okay. You saw at Lord's that I struggled a bit, so it might be the case that I'll have to miss games or have that operation. But there's a big game on Thursday which I want to be a part of then a heavy schedule coming up after that. I don't want to miss games, but it might have to be done to make sure I can perform at my best and not let the team down."

As Wood alluded to, such is the packed nature of England's schedule that missing matches would be inevitable if surgery was required. Shortly after the one-day series against Australia is finished next month - one that is shaping as a series for Wood to miss - the squad fly to the UAE for three Tests against Pakistan followed by four ODIs and three T20s. Then it is almost straight to South Africa for a full tour including four Tests and hot on the heels of that is the World T20 in India leading right into the start of the next English season.

For Wood, the conflict is wanting to savour every moment of his young England career but also being wise enough - with the aid of the input from the medical team - to do what is best to ensure those England days have longevity.

"If I did get this done it might mean I don't have to take as many pills and get my ankle taped," he said. "There are positive and negatives on both sides so just have to weigh it up as to when is the right time in the schedule that I can get away with it if I do need it do. But I may not need it at all. Jimmy Anderson has had an ankle problem for years that the management have told me about so if I can do what he's done then I would prefer that.

The potential for tweaking his action has not been completely discounted, either, although Wood said his current approach - a sprinter's kick at the start with an explosive delivery stride - is all he has ever used, but he is aware of the thoughts of former fast bowlers who worry about the impact it has on his body.

"I have spoken to a couple of guys about injuries. My style of bowling off a short run and explosive at the crease probably doesn't help my body at times. I heard Glenn McGrath mention that my short run puts more pressure on, but I don't know any different to be honest. Maybe that's something I can look at and discuss with the team."

There should be caution, however, about changes to a bowling action. The man who may force him onto the sidelines for this Test - Anderson - almost had his career ruined by a desire to try and remodel his action while Steven Finn's career was severely disrupted when his run-up was tinkered with.