England fast bowler Mark Wood has emerged as a major injury doubt for the second Ashes Test at the Gabba after suffering soreness in his left knee both during and after the two-day defeat in Perth.

Despite playing his part in Australia's first-innings demise there by hitting Cameron Green on the helmet, Wood bowled only 11 overs in the match and failed to take a wicket.

Now the troublesome knee that required surgery in March, ending his home summer before it began, is causing discomfort again, and ruled him out of the team's training session at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

Wood also suffered tightness in his left hamstring during England's warm-up match against the Lions at Lilac Hill, and his latest injury scare is a reminder of the stress his body undergoes while he is registering 94mph on the speedgun, as he did in Perth.

He turns 36 two days after the series is scheduled to end, on January 11, and recently earned only a one-year ECB central contract, having previously enjoyed a three-year deal.

If Wood misses out on Brisbane's pink-ball Test under lights, starting on Thursday, England may decide they don't need as many as five seamers, and keep him fresh for the third Test at Adelaide, where his pace could be useful on what is traditionally the flattest pitch in Australia.

That would leave the door open for a spinner to play at Brisbane, with Will Jacks's greater all-round ability giving him the edge over Shoaib Bashir.

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes has insisted that his description of former England players who criticised the team's Ashes preparations as 'has-beens' was a 'slip of the tongue'.

He explained: 'I got the words I said there completely wrong. I think everyone knows that. "Has-beens" is a horrible word. It's the only thing that managed to come out of my mouth in that moment. 

'God, I'm going to be one of those one day. It's a complete wrong wording, and I think everyone does know that it's not at all what I meant by that.'