England have named an unchanged 14-man squad for the fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval, as they look to bounce back from the disappointment of drawing in Manchester with a win to square the series.
As in 2019, England go to south London unable to win the series but with the incentive of denying Australia their first win on these shores since 2001. "It is a massive game for us and 2-2 sounds a lot better than 3-1," Stokes said.
The Headingley Test was Woakes' first in the format since England toured the Caribbean in March 2022 and he said last week, before the fourth Test started, that he had pulled up "extremely sore" after bowling 35 overs across the match in Leeds.
He added that playing back-to-back Tests "won't be an issue" if selected to play at The Oval, and that "the adrenaline and the occasion" would get him through. But with a World Cup in India looming later this year, England may decide not to risk one of their main all-format players.
"There are some tired bodies and we have a short period until the Oval so we will have to see who is fit then," Stokes told the BBC.
England squad for the fifth Test: Ben Stokes (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood