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England's fast bowler Mark Wood says he is "quietly confident" about his fitness for the opening match of cricket's greatest rivalry in Australia.

The cricketer has been sidelined following a Champions Trophy loss against Afghanistan last winter and underwent surgery for a knee issue this spring.

The Champions Trophy and India series that preceded it marked his comeback after an elbow problem which sidelined him for many months.

"The summer was disappointing," Wood explained. "I didn't get to play any cricket and my knee sometimes, when you think I was nearly fit, it wasn't fully recovered."

"I got knocked back a couple of times, but in the tent [training camp] progress has been positive. We've used the radar gun and the pace is getting up there."

The first match of the series begins November 21st at Perth, with England seeking victory in their initial series win on Australian soil in over a decade.

"With luck, I'll be performing well, bowling well during warm-up matches and in the nets, and can put my hand up for that game [Ashes opener]," added Wood, whose last Test outing was against Sri Lanka over a year back.

"My recovery wasn't a smooth process, it had its ups and downs, but I'm in a good position now where i'm hoping to kick on toward the match."

"I avoid making statements claiming, 'I'm fully ready, I'm set'. I'm in a confident place currently and feeling a lot more positive, so I'm quietly confident."

Australia's Fitness Concerns

At the same time, Australia's concerns over the fitness of squad members have led to all-rounder Cameron Green being replaced by Marnus Labuschagne for the ODI series against India, which starts on Sunday.

The Aussies also have concerns over the condition of captain Pat Cummins, who's been absent since July because of lumbar bone stress in his back.

"Cameron Green has been ruled out of the [India] series having experienced mild side discomfort at training this week," Cricket Australia said.

"He will undergo a short period of rehabilitation and is expected to be back for the third round of the Sheffield Shield to further prepare for the series."

Round three of the Sheffield Shield tournament begins on 28 October.