Ashes 2025-26: 'I will try and stay focused on the rehab' - Chris Woakes provides positive update about his recovery from shoulder injury

With the Ashes coming up in November, Chris Woakes is racing against time to make himself available for selection. The star all-rounder made a comeback to Test cricket during the five-match series between India and England, which ended earlier this month. In the fifth and final Test match at The Oval, Woakes dislocated his shoulder after trying to stop a ball from going to the boundary.

The 36-year-old couldn't bowl any further in the high-voltage encounter but he displayed commendable grit and determination on Day 5 of the Test match when he walked out to bat at No. 11, with his left arm in a sling.

After the Test match, Woakes said he was weighing up whether to focus on rehab or opt for surgery. However, he was recently seen on the sidelines of The Hundred, not wearing a sling for support. This was a positive indication given by the Birmingham-born, suggesting that his injury is not as bad as it was perceived to be on first impression. Woakes also confirmed that he is not going the surgery route just yet as he will look to get better through rehab.

"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," Woakes said while speaking to Sky Sports.

"I suppose once you get a little bit more movement into it, it feels a little bit more normal. 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.

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Woakes finished with 11 wickets from five Tests in the series against India at an average of 52.18. While he wasn't at his best, his experience will be crucial for England as they look to regain possession of the prestigious Ashes urn for the first time since 2018.