England speedster Mark Wood is confident he will return from his fresh knee issues in time to play a part at the back end of The Ashes.

The tourists’ quickest bowler, who underwent knee surgery in March, came into the series opener at Optus Stadium having not played a Test match since August of last year.

After only being able to get through eight overs of their warm-up game at Lilac Hill before succumbing to hamstring tightness, he was selected for the first Test but reported soreness in his knee after it ended, which ruled him out for the second Test at the Gabba.

Despite still sporting a sizeable brace on his left knee, Wood told Channel Seven he was hopeful of being available for selection in time for the Boxing Day Test.

“It’s a chance there (for the third Test in Adelaide), but I think more realistically, it’ll be Melbourne and after that. I need to get out of this (brace) first and get moving around,” Wood said.

“I can’t do that much at the minute, I had got a couple of injections, rest it up, and slowly but surely, running starts soon, then back into bowling.

“It’s part and parcel of being a fast bowler. I was speaking to Punter (Ricky Ponting) off air, and Brett Lee’s had a few of these, so I’m hoping I can come back later in the series with a bit of fire.”

The 35-year-old Wood conceded finding himself on the sidelines again after only a light workload at Optus Stadium was “pretty frustrating”.

“It’s more mentally (challenging) than physically — you’ve got to try and build it up and come back again, that’s the more difficult thing,” he said.

“I only bowled 11 overs in the game, which was the worry for me, I hadn’t bowled that many balls . . . I fell over a couple of times, and I was starting to feel it, and it just was wearing me down as it went on.

“I’ve tried to show resilience and keep coming back and keep trying to push it where I can bowl faster and faster.

“I’m getting older now, I don’t know if my body’s not coping with it as well, but I’ll keep trying. That’s something I pride myself on, to keep running in for the team and be a good team man. Hopefully, I can get this right and charge in again.”

Wood formed part of a five-pronged pace attack in Perth but England’s selectors opted to change their approach for the Gabba in his absence, bringing in spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks.