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Five potential replacements for James Anderson

Sports Mole looks at some of the bowlers who could replace the injured James Anderson for the fourth Test of the Ashes series.

England will head into the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge knowing that they will have a chance to win back the urn, but they will have to do it without their record wicket-taker.

James Anderson has been ruled out of the match with a side injury, which he picked up on the second day at Edgbaston.

The England selectors will meet later today to pick their squad for the fourth Test, which gets underway on Thursday.

Sports Mole takes a look at some of the names being linked to the opening.



1. Mark Wood

Barring an injury setback, Mark Wood will more than likely be the man coming into the side for the Trent Bridge Test, having played in the first two matches of the series.

Mark Wood and James Anderson celebrate dismissing Nathan Lyon on day three of the First Test of The Ashes on July 10, 2015© Getty Images

A minor injury kept the 25-year-old on the sidelines at Edgbaston, with Steven Finn coming into the side instead, but the selectors are confident that he will be fit by Thursday.

Wood has been consistent since making his Test debut earlier in the summer, claiming 14 wickets in four matches for Alastair Cook's side, and he has a useful average of 31 with the bat.

Wood is still a relative newcomer to regular international cricket, and his body is still adjusting to the demands, but the week off should mean that he will be fresh if brought back in for the match in Nottingham.



2. Chris Woakes

Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes has not featured in the England set-up since the Cricket World Cup earlier this year after suffering an injury setback, but he has been on form in the County Championship recently.

Chris Woakes of England celebrates dismissing R Ashwin of India during day one of 5th Investec Test match between England and India at The Kia Oval on August 15, 2014© Getty Images

In first-class matches against Durham and Somerset earlier this month, the 26-year-old, who has four previous Test caps for England, took match figures of 4-103 and 4-66 respectively.

However, Woakes remains an unknown quantity in Test matches on English soil, having only ever featured on tour in Australia and Sri Lanka previously.



3. Chris Rushworth

Durham bowler Chris Rushworth has been one of the stand-out performers with the ball in the County Championship this season, resulting in the 29-year-old being linked with his first ever call-up to the national side.

Rushworth has had to fight for his place in the Durham side, having previously been released from the county squad in 2006, resulting in him spending time as a satellite dish salesman and working in a call centre, before making his first-class debut in 2010.

Chris Rushworth of Durham celebrates taking the wicket of Steven Mullaney (unseen) of Nottinghamshire during the LV County Championship match between Durham and Nottinghamshire at The Riverside on September 2, 2014© Getty Images

This season he has proved himself a clinical wicket-taker though, finishing with figures of 9-78 in a match against Hampshire earlier this month, and has 26 wickets in his last 10 matches in all three formats of the game.

In 2013, Rushworth helped Durham win the County Championship, taking 54 wickets in the season for an average of 22.25 runs.



4. Mark Footitt
Former Nottinghamshire bowler Mark Footitt would be an interesting inclusion for the fourth Test, having spent four years playing first-class cricket at Trent Bridge before moving on to Derbyshire in 2009.

Mark Footitt of Derbyshire celebrates after taking the wicket of Durham's Will Smith (not pictured) during the LV County Championship match between Derbyshire and Durham at The County Ground on September 13, 2013© Getty Images

The 29-year-old left-hander has been involved in the England camp in the build-up to the Ashes, travelling with the team for a bonding trip to Spain following Trevor Bayliss's appointment as coach earlier this year.

In his last first-class outing, Footitt starred with the ball, claiming 5-41 in the first innings to go on and finish the match with 7-114.

Like Rushworth, Footitt has never played a Test match before, but he did feature for the England Under-19s earlier in his career, and certainly knows how to read the conditions in Nottingham.



5. Craig Overton
All-rounder Craig Overton has been having an impressive season for Somerset, notching up 35 wickets from his last six first-class matches in the County Championship.

The 21-year-old, who plays alongside twin brother Jamie Overton in Taunton, has already featured in the England squad, being called up as a replacement for the injured Chris Jordan in the one-day series against New Zealand earlier this summer.

Craig Overton of Somerset looks on in the field during the first day of the LV County Championship Division One match between Worcestershire and Somerset at New Road on May 30, 2012© Getty Images

With Wood all but certain to take Anderson's spot, England may see this as a chance to bring the youngster in and give him some experience around the Test side to prepare him for the future.

Overton's bowling style has been likened more to than of Stuart Broad than Anderson, but he is also a capable batsman, averaging 26.4 with a high score of 99.

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James Anderson poses during an England portrait session in May 2015
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