England may be forced to cope without fast bowler Mark Wood for longer than they hoped after hauling themselves back into contention in The Ashes series overnight. A magnificent unbeaten century from Joe Root – his maiden ton on Australian soil – placed the visitors in command at The Gabba during the opening day of the second Test.

Root (135no) was in sublime form, registering his 40th Test century while England amassed 325-9. Zak Crawley (76) and tail-ender Jofra Archer (32no) also provided valuable contributions.

Although the Australians enjoyed their own periods of success, the day ultimately belonged to Ben Stokes‘ men. There is, however, concerning news emerging away from the action on the field.

Wood, who is currently battling a knee problem and was originally expected to miss only the second Test match, may also be absent for the upcoming clash in Adelaide following a worrying update regarding his fitness.

The 35-year-old, who featured in the opening Test in Perth where he completed 11 wicketless overs, spoke to Australian broadcaster Channel 7 during day one in Brisbane. He said it remains uncertain if he’ll return to action before Christmas.

Wood said: “I think there’s a chance there [for the third Test match in Adelaide],” before adding: “More realistically, it’s probably more Melbourne and then [Sydney] after that.

“I need to get out of this [brace] first to get moving around.”

Wood has endured more than a share of injury set-backs throughout his international career. His appearance in Perth marked his first Test outing in 15 months following an elbow injury.

The Durham paceman was still sporting a knee brace on the opening day in Brisbane, watching the proceedings alongside his England colleagues from the dressing room. Wood’s absence was the sole alteration to Stokes’ XI for the second Test, with spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks taking his place.

Discussing Wood’s injury blow, former England skipper Michael Atherton told Sky Sports: “He’s a key player, a fast bowler and the whole strategy here is to win The Ashes with pace. I think the initial hopes were that he would be right for the third Test in Adelaide, but he has delivered a more pessimistic update.

“His impact in the series could be minimal.”

Wood featured in the opening Test as part of a five-man pace attack, but the tourists have adopted a slightly different tactic in Brisbane, selecting a spin alternative in Jacks, who also offers additional batting strength.

Following Root’s magnificent display, left-armer Mitchell Starc once again proved Australia’s standout performer. He claimed 6-71 from his 19 overs with the highly-discussed pink ball.