Flintoff’s ankle strikes again

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has reported soreness in his left ankle, once again, at the close of Lancashire’s County Championship match against Hampshire. He has undergone a scan, the results of which will be revealed later today.

“When a player is having a scan three days before the start of the First Test, it is a concern for us,” an ECB spokesman told BBC Sport.

“We await the results of the scan and the medical team’s assessment before being able to make any further comment. To say Andrew could miss the entire match or only be able to bat is pure speculation at this stage.”

The ankle has been a persistent problem for Flintoff, first requiring an operation in February 2005 which caused him to miss the ODI series in South Africa. It flared-up again in May 2006, eventually needing another operation which ruled him out of most of that summer’s action and prompted suggestions of being undercooked for the Ashes series last winter. It has rarely been out of the headlines since.

England are already missing captain Michael Vaughan for the First Test which starts on Thursday, and Kevin Pietersen’s fitness is not yet guaranteed.