Overview
- The ECB said Mark Wood’s precautionary scans showed no hamstring damage after he left the warm-up match with stiffness following eight overs.
- Wood will not play the final day of the Lilac Hill game and will continue training, leaving him short on red-ball overs after knee surgery earlier this year.
- England view picking Wood for the opener as a risk given his match fitness, with Jofra Archer reported as a likely alternative for Perth in some analyses.
- Australia are without captain Pat Cummins, and reporting diverges on Josh Hazlewood’s availability, with 7NEWS saying he will miss Perth.
- Selectors are preparing contingencies that include Scott Boland and potential call-ups such as Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser, while Sean Abbott is sidelined with a hamstring injury ahead of the November 21 start.