Mixed news for England's fast-bowling stocks

England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the ongoing Ashes series, but Jofra Archer took another step towards making his Test debut in a much-needed boost to the home team’s pace stocks.

England’s impressive depth of fast-bowling talent has been hit hard by injury with week; the news of Wood’s season-ending knee surgery came just a day after Jimmy Anderson hobbled off Edgbaston with a calf problem that has put his participation for the rest of this first Test and the series under a cloud.

England remain tight-lipped over the extent of Anderson’s injury after he bowled just four overs on day one in Birmingham before being sent for scans on his right calf.

But the veteran was seen lightly jogging at Edgbaston on Friday and also hit some balls with the bat, raising hopes that he might bat and possibly even bowl again later in this Test match.

"Jimmy will be working desperately hard on ice and rehab," pace partner Stuart Broad told Sky Sports.

"He said to me last night there’s a chance he might bowl second innings. If the scan comes back and there’s no major mark on it, he will strap it up and go.

"One thing we know about Jimmy is that if there’s a chance of him bowling, he will."

Archer, meanwhile, took a wicket and bowled four overs in Sussex’s T20 win over Kent on Friday night and will play in a three-day game for Sussex’s second XI later this week as he eyes a debut in the second Test at Lord’s.

The second XI game, starting on Tuesday, will be Archer’s first match with a red ball in almost a year, with the paceman having focused on white-ball cricket in the lead-in to the World Cup.

The 24-year-old had been included in England’s squad for the first Test but was ruled out of the final XI to give him more time to recover from a side strain.

In addition to Broad and Chris Woakes, who impressed in Anderson’s absence on Thursday by sharing eight Australian wickets at Edgbaston, England could call upon left-armer Sam Curran and new boy Olly Stone should Anderson and Archer be unable to prove their fitness for the Lord’s Test.

Wood was already set to miss the first three Ashes Tests because of a left side strain he sustained during the World Cup final win over New Zealand.

England announced on Friday that Wood had been struggling with a knee problem as well as a longstanding ankle injury.

"England fast bowler Mark Wood has had left knee surgery to address an injury sustained during the ICC Cricket World Cup," said a team statement.

"The Durham player will continue rehabilitation for this and the left side strain that he sustained in the World Cup final.

"As a result of these injuries, he will be unavailable for any cricket for the remainder of the season."

Wood's last Test appearance saw the 29-year-old bowl well during a consolation win over the West Indies earlier this year.

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

First Test: August 1-5,Edgbaston

Tour match: Australians v Worcestershire, August 7-9

Second Test: August 14-18,Lord's

Third Test: August 22-26, Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval