Chris Woakes Ponders Risking Rehab Over Shoulder Surgery To Feature In Ashes

Chris Woakes may choose rehabilitation over surgery on his concerning shoulder injury in a bid to be fit for England's Ashes series in Australia.

Veteran bowler Woakes sustained a worrying blow to his shoulder in the fifth Test against India last week at The Oval.

The 36-year-old then came out to bat last with his arm in a sling, in a heroic move that was not rewarded as India edged to a six-run victory on the final day, levelling the series 2-2.

Woakes is waiting for scan results after he suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder, though he admitted The Ashes is already on his mind for recovery, ahead of the first Test in Perth on November 21.

"I'm waiting to see what the extent of the damage is, but I think the options will be to have surgery or to go down a rehab route and try and get it as strong as possible," Woakes told BBC Sport.

"I suppose naturally with that there will be a chance of a reoccurrence, but I suppose that could be a risk that you're just willing to take, sort of thing.

"From what I've heard from physios and specialists, the rehab of a surgery option would be closer to four months or three to four months. That's obviously touching on the Ashes and Australia so it makes it tricky.

"From a rehab point of view, you can probably get it strong again within eight weeks. So that could be an option, but again, obviously still waiting to get the full report on it."

England needed 17 runs when Woakes came out at number 11, though that deficit was sliced to six before Gus Atkinson was bowled by the imperious Mohammed Siraj.

Woakes, who did not face a ball but ran four runs, received widespread praise for his bravery, which came as a surprise to the seam bowler.

"In my eyes it was never a question [of going out to bat]," he added. "It was just a matter of 'I was always going to do that' and I believed anyone else in that dressing room would have done the same. So it's not like it was just me making that decision," he said.

"But yeah, I suppose it's quite surprising how much people have sent the love, sent the support and said how brave it was. But as I said, in my eyes it was just business as usual.

"When you get the opportunity, you do what's best for your team. In that moment, it was to go out there and try and find a way with Gus at the other end to try and get us over the line.

"Unfortunately, it didn't happen, but I'm grateful and thankful that I put up a fight and tried to do it for the team."