England’s hopes of becoming the first side in nearly 100 years to overturn a 2-0 deficit to win the Ashes are fading fast after another devastating blow, with fast bowling spearhead Mark Wood ruled out of the remainder of the series.

Just hours after Australia revealed star seamer Josh Hazlewood wouldn’t play a part in the final three Test matches, England announced Wood would also remain sidelined, having bowled only 11 overs in the Perth contest before succumbing to knee pain.

The English camp was adamant in the lead-up to the second match in Brisbane; the speedster was doing everything he could to be available at the Gabba, but he was walking around with the aid of a bulky knee brace.

It’s the same knee he had surgery on in March at the conclusion of the Champions Trophy that ruled him out of the English summer and saw him make his red-ball return, however briefly, in Perth.

Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher has been added to the squad after representing the English Lions during their tour of Australia.

Wood was the spearhead of an English attack that the nation has spent four years building for this tour alongside temperamental tearaway Jofra Archer, seamer Gus Atkinson and all-rounder Brydon Carse.

However, only two Tests into the five-match series, England’s bowlers are in disarray, failing even to get close to 20 wickets in either match while also giving up a first-innings total of 511 in Brisbane without Wood.

Bowler Mitchell Starc, who leads the series in wicket taking, top scored with 77 from 141 deliveries as Carse recorded figures of 4-152, Atkinson 1-114, Archer 1-87 and skipper Ben Stokes 3-113.

Trailing in the series 2-0, England’s back-up options have not inspired much hope either.

Matthew Potts showed positive signs while in Perth playing for England Lions, but missed the side’s crushing defeat to Australia A over the weekend, with the tourists’ B team plundered for 8-588 declared.

Dropped Australia Test opener Nathan McSweeney struck an unbeaten 226 against the English attack in that match at Allen Border Field.

And should England turn to a front-line spin option, Shoaib Bashir registered figures of 0-115 against Australia A.

Australia, on the other hand, are set to regain the services of captain Pat Cummins for the third Test in Adelaide, with off-spinning great Nathan Lyon also highly likely to earn a recall after he was surprisingly left out of the pink-ball match in Brisbane.