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England's Wood resigned to the axe

London - Fast bowler Mark Wood, who took the final wicket in the fourth Test to seal England's Ashes triumph, is expecting to be dropped for the fifth and final match against Australia at The Oval that starts on Thursday.

James Anderson missed the last game in Nottingham due to a side injury but is fit to return.

"Jimmy's got 400 wickets and he's England's lead bowler," Wood told reporters on Tuesday. "He had a bowl yesterday and he seemed fine and if he's fit and ready to go it looks like he would get the nod.

"It's out of my hands but I'm going to prepare how I've prepared for every other game."

Wood, who made his debut in the first test against New Zealand at Lord's in May, has taken nine wickets in the Ashes series despite missing the third game in Birmingham due to an ongoing ankle injury.

"Long-term I think the ankle problem that I've got may need some work done to it," Wood said.

"Everyone saw that (in the second test) at Lord's I struggled a bit so I might have to have that operation done."

Wood returned figures of three for 69 in Australia's second innings in Nottingham, finishing the match by bowling Nathan Lyon to give England an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.

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