Chris Woakes to miss Ashes 2025-26? All-rounder provides crucial update on his shoulder injury

Chris Woakes sustained a shoulder injury during The Oval test between England and India.

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has provided an update on his shoulder injury, which he sustained during the fifth test against India at The Oval. The all-rounder is aiming to be fit ahead of the much-awaited The Ashes 2025-26, which will commence in November in Australia.

The 36-year-old dislocated his shoulder while trying to save a boundary on day one of The Oval test. Following which, he was ruled out of the match but, he came out to bat in the second innings on day five. He walked out to bat to support Gus Atkinson when England needed a few more runs to chase down the 374-run target. However, they lost the match by six runs.

Woakes’ brave act to bat with a sling on his left shoulder was appreciated by everyone. Recently, the seam all-rounder revealed that he wants to skip surgery and go ahead with rehabilitation for his dislocated shoulder, so that he can be part of The Ashes 2025-26.

I won’t need surgery for now: Chris Woakes shares positive news about his injury shoulder

Speaking to Sky Sports, Woakes revealed that he won’t need surgery for his injured shoulder. He was seen without a sling for the first time since his injury.

“Certainly good news for me. That’s the best way to look at it. Obviously out of the sling and I feel like I can move it a lot better now, which is good two weeks down the line. I suppose once you get a little bit more movement into it, it feels a little bit more normal,” he said.

“But there’s still a lot of work to do. I’m going to try and stay focused on the rehab and get it as strong as possible. Ideally, I won’t need surgery for now, but we’ll see how that goes and hopefully we can get it nice and strong again,” he added.

In the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, he clinched 11 wickets across five games at an average of 52.18. His absence from the fifth test came as a big blow to the team as other bowlers struggled.

Meanwhile, The Ashes 2025-26 will commence on November 21 with the first test at Perth Cricket Stadium, Perth. Woakes has three months left to recover for the crucial test series. The campaign will conclude with the fifth and final test in Sydney from January 4 to 8, 2026.

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