London, Oct. 17 -- England fast bowler Mark Wood says he is "quietly confident" of being fit for the first Test of the Ashes series in Australia.
Wood has not played since a Champions Trophy defeat by Afghanistan in February and had an operation on a left knee injury in March.
The Champions Trophy and tour of India that preceded it was the 35-year-old's return from an elbow injury that had kept him out of action since August 2024.
"It was a frustrating summer," Wood told the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast.
"I didn't get to play any cricket and my knee, at times when you think that you're just about ready to play, it was not just quite there.
"I got knocked back a couple of times, but in the tent [training camp] it's been going well. I'v...