Chris Woakes ready to risk himself to be fit for The Ashes, decides to skip surgery for his injured shoulder

Chris Woakes sustained a shoulder injury during ENG vs IND 5th test at The Oval.

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has said that he would prefer to skip surgery for his injured shoulder and rather go ahead with rehabilitation to be fit ahead of the crucial The Ashes 2025-26. The highly anticipated series will commence in November.

Woakes sustained a shoulder injury while fielding on day one of The Oval test between England and India. In an attempt to save a boundary, he dislocated his shoulder and was ruled out of the match. The 36-year-old player is currently waiting for the scan results of his injury.

Notably, despite being ruled out of The Oval test, Woakes came out to bat in the second innings with a sling on his left shoulder. England needed 17 more runs with one wicket left when he arrived on the crease. Although he did not face any deliveries, but supported Gus Atkinson on the non-striker’s end. But his efforts went in vain as England eventually lost the match by a narrow margin of six runs.

Rehab after surgery would take about three to four months: Chris Woakes

Speaking to BBC Sport, the England all-rounder said that undergoing surgery would take three to four months for recovery. Hence, he would prefer rehabilitation to be able to play in The Ashes.

“I suppose there will be a chance of a re-occurrence, but that could be a risk that you’re just willing to take. From what I’ve heard from physios and specialists, the rehab after surgery would take about three to four months,” he said.

That’s obviously close to the Ashes and Australia, so it makes it tricky. From a rehab perspective, you can probably get it strong again within eight weeks. So that could be an option, but we’re still waiting to get the full report on it,” he added.

Notably, Woakes received a lot of appreciation for his brave act to come out to bat despite the injury. The Oval crowd gave him a standing ovation when he walked out to the field on day five. The five-match test series between India and England ended in a 2-2 draw.

Meanwhile, The Ashes 2025-26 will commence on November 21 with the first test in Perth. England and Australia will clash in five tests during the series, with the final encounter scheduled to be played from January 4 to 8 in Sydney.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.