Australian all-rounder Sophie Molineux has been ruled out of the Women’s Ashes with a knee injury.
Molineux is the key absentee from the one-day international and T20 squad for the multi-format series, with captain Alyssa Healy named after recovering from a knee problem of her own.
Off-spinner Molineux, who also missed the 2021-22 and 2023 Ashes series due to injury, is scheduled to undergo surgery in January after struggling in the third one-day international against India earlier this month.
Alyssa Healy
Healy missed that series but returned for the two-match rubber in New Zealand despite handing over wicket-taking duties to Beth Mooney.
The 34-year-old has been named in the Governor General’s XI squad to face England in Sydney on January 9 ahead of the Ashes, and she is keen to don the gloves.
“At the moment I’m just waiting to hear how everything goes, but I enjoyed being on the field in New Zealand. So if that’s an option and there’s less disruption on our part, that could be the way to move. “Go forward,” he said.
“The real test is going into the series over the next 10 days and how that knee responds to getting up and holding it back.”
Georgia Voll, 21, has retained her place in the white-ball squad after debuting at number one in Healy’s absence against India.
Grace Harris will join the T20 squad.
The Ashes begins with the first of three one-day internationals on January 12, followed by three T20s and a day-night Test over four days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from January 30.
Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2023 by winning the Test match before the hosts leveled the series with wins in both white-ball formats.
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