Andrew Flintoff looks certain to miss the rest of the npower Test series against New Zealand, but prompt treatment from Lancashire's medical staff on his side strain may have saved him from a much longer layoff. Having injured his left side bowling against Durham last week, Flintoff was ruled out of the first two Tests. It was hoped that he would return in the LV County Championship match against Yorkshire on May 30, but Lancashire do not now expect him to feature in that game, which was his last chance of proving his fitness before the final Test against New Zealand starts at Trent Bridge on June 5.

Asked whether Flintoff would play in the Roses match, Mike Watkinson, the Lancashire cricket manager, said: “I don't think so. We'll maybe look at the game afterwards [against Nottinghamshire from June 6-9]. That's a possibility. We're looking at two or three weeks to get through the recovery then maybe a week to get back to match fitness.”

Flintoff's side strain is not serious, but Watkinson believes that it could have been seriously aggravated if Lancashire's medical staff had not acted quickly. “They've caught what could have been a potentially serious injury, looking at two or three months out,” Watkinson said. “They've nipped it in the bud and hopefully two or three good weeks of rest will sort it out.”

Peter Moores, the England head coach, confirmed this week that Flintoff would have been included in England's squad for the first two Tests if he had been fit. The earliest that the all-rounder is likely to return to the national team is the Twenty20 international at Old Trafford on June 13. His next possible appearance in Test cricket will be against South Africa at Lord's on July 10.

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