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The English pace spearhead Mark Wood has stated he feels "quietly confident" of being fit for the first Test of cricket's greatest rivalry in Australia.

The cricketer has been sidelined following a Champions Trophy loss by Afghanistan last winter and underwent surgery for a knee issue this spring.

That tournament and India series which came before marked his comeback after an elbow problem which sidelined him for many months.

"The summer was disappointing," Wood explained. "I didn't get to play any matches and my knee sometimes, when you think I was nearly fit, it wasn't fully recovered."

"I faced setbacks on several occasions, but in the tent [training camp] progress has been positive. We've used the radar gun and my speed is increasing."

The first match of the Ashes starts on 21 November at Perth, with England aiming to win their initial series win in Australia in over a decade.

"With luck, I'll be performing well, delivering effectively during warm-up matches and in net sessions, and can put my hand up for that game [Ashes opener]," Wood continued, whose last Test outing was against Sri Lanka 14 months ago.

"The rehab hasn't just been a straight curve, it had its ups and downs, but now I'm in a better place and hope to push forward toward the match."

"I never want to give an answer where I say, 'Yes, I'm pumped, I'm set'. I'm in a confident place at the minute and more optimistic, so I'm cautiously hopeful."

Australia's Fitness Concerns

At the same time, worries for Australia regarding the health of squad members have led to all-rounder Cameron Green being replaced by Marnus Labuschagne for the ODI series with India, beginning this weekend.

The Aussies also have doubts about the fitness of skipper Pat Cummins, who has not played since July because of lumbar bone stress in his back.

"Cameron Green has been ruled out for the India series after suffering mild side discomfort at training this week," Cricket Australia said.

"He will undergo a short period of rehabilitation and is expected to be back for the third round of the Sheffield Shield to further prepare for the Ashes."

Round three of Australia's domestic Sheffield Shield competition is scheduled to start October 28th.