On Friday, it was announced that England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of 2024 with an injury to his right elbow.
Wood has had several injury problems in the past, and suffered another one during the first Test against Sri Lanka. On day three of the match at Old Trafford, he had limped off the field midway through his 11th over with a thigh injury, before the ECB later announced he would not bowl on day four. He was subsequently ruled out of the Sri Lanka series.
On Friday (September 6), England announced that Wood had been ruled out of the remainder of 2024, meaning he will miss Test series against Pakistan and New Zealand. However, this is not because of his thigh injury, but a separate issue.
While undergoing scans on his right elbow, medical experts discovered that Wood had suffered a bone stress injury. The ECB's release stated that the pacer will be targetting a return to full fitness by early 2025, with a view to coming back for England's white-ball tour of India in January before taking part in the Champions Trophy in February.
Did Wood play the West Indies and Sri Lanka Tests through injury?
They also confirmed that Wood was recovering well from his thigh injury. The ECB's release stated the following: "Medical scans have confirmed that Wood has a bone stress injury of the right elbow injury. He had noticed increasing stiffness and discomfort in his elbow during the Test series against the West Indies earlier in the summer.
"He played a full part in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford managing the discomfort whilst he was bowling."
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In a statement posted by Wood on Instagram, he said the elbow had been "irritated" and that he and the medical team thought it best to get it checked out: "During what I thought was routine check on a previously troublesome elbow, I was shocked to learn I’ve got some bone stress in my right elbow.
"After the minor groin injury at Emirates Old Trafford, me and the medical team felt it was a good time to get my elbow looked at as it was a bit irritated. I’d put that down to the normal niggles every fast bowler gets and which I was playing through.
"I will miss the rest of the year needing time to rest and build up, fully expecting to be back and firing in early 2025. I have been down this path before and will put in all the hard yards behind the scenes. I am very proud to represent my country and there is no better feeling."
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Will Mark Wood be fit for the 2025 Champions Trophy?
Wood has been ruled out of the upcoming Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand, both of which will be taking place before the end of 2024. ECB's statement, Wood "aims to return to full fitness by early 2025, in time for England’s white-ball tour of India and the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled to begin in February 2025."
The 34-year-old seamer last appeared in white-ball cricket for England during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, Wood has played only six white-ball games for England, all T20Is.
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