LONDON: England are preparing for a Flintoff-free Headingley Test after including Jonathan Trott and Ryan Sidebottom in a squad that includes Steve Harmison but not the second spinner, Monty Panesar.
Flintoff travelled home to Cheshire after the match on Monday night and saw England's medical team on Tuesday, but for him and his captain it is essentially a waiting game as Geoff Miller, the national selector explained.
"I would say Freddie's prospects are always pretty good," Miller said. "We know that he's determined to finish off his Test career at the Oval and he'll want to play here as well.
"But we'll have to monitor him day by day to see how his fitness goes and then have a look on the morning of the Test. If he's able to do the workload the captain requires then he'll be in the side. If not, we'll have to debate it."
Andy Flower, England's team director, who would have seen the extent of the injury during the last Test, was less optimistic, though he essentially came to the same conclusion that Flintoff, apparently bullish about his own chances, would play only if fit.
"I suppose with continued wear and tear the percentages would say that he probably is less likely to be able to get through the next Test, but he's a strong bloke," said Flower.
"He's also got a strong body, a strong mind and a strong will, and he definitely wants to play these last two Tests. We've planned for the eventuality if he does pull out. He's pretty confident he'll play but we don't know how he's going to pull up after the exertions of the last test."
It usually takes two men to replace Flintoff, who having won the second Test at Lord's with his bowling, set up the chance to win the next one at Edgbaston with his batting.
In the recent past England have often done better without their all-rounder than with, but the Australians stir his senses and this team's chances of winning the Ashes will be the poorer without him.
In previous squads this summer, Harmison was Flintoff's like-for-like stand-in. But with Kevin Pietersen out for the series and with Australia now revving up Brett Lee and Stuart Clark in the hope of exploiting England's brittle-looking middle order, the option to play the extra batsman looks sensible.
If it happens, the aggressive Trott will play along with four specialist bowlers, one of the spots being contested between Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom.
Which one of the three plays will also betray England's mindset. If you decide on four frontline bowlers they need to be your best ones and at present Broad is not among them. A vote for him would have negative connotations that go with packing the batting and playing for the draw.
The choice between Harmison and Sidebottom will depend on the conditions, with the lingering memory of what happened next when England picked a horses-for-courses swinger from Nottinghamshire last year.
Darren Pattinson was the man brought in, Paul Collingwood was dropped, South Africa won, and both England's captain and coach tried to distance themselves from the selection.
All this is predicated on Flintoff not playing. If he is ready to rumble, then the only change might be Sidebottom or Harmison for Broad.
One other option would be to play Flintoff as a batsman, following his fine 74 at Edgbaston. He has always seen himself as a batsman who bowls rather than the other way around. The only problem is he looked in as much pain running between the wickets as running in to bowl, so his knee would not improve as a result.
His absence is the only way Trott can make his Test debut, unless one of the top five gets injured just before the start, as Brad Haddin did in Birmingham. Miller and Flower both confirmed he is not there to replace Ravi Bopara, despite the modest offerings so far from England's No 3.
According to those who have played with him, Trott, 28, could just as easily be called Strop, so bolshy can he become when he gets out.
On one occasion, while playing for Otago, he smashed the dressing-room bin only to be told by the coach to head off into town to buy a replacement. Yet sources say he has calmed down considerably this season with rage being converted into runs, something his first-class average of 83.1 would seem to confirm.
Sidebottom's inclusion comes after some decent form too. His ability to swing the ball, something most of Australia's batsmen appear vulnerable to, makes him a favourite to play should the long-range forecast of cloud and showers for the Test be firmed up later in the week.
There was some suggestion that he is there as cover for Harmison, who has been suffering from blisters, but this is nonsense. Harmison might lack the run-through-a- brick-wall attitude of his mate Flintoff but he would not risk the ridicule of missing an Ashes Test with blisters.
Meanwhile, Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke has emerged as a potential injury doubt for the fourth Test after developing an abdominal strain.
Clarke experienced discomfort after completing his undefeated century in the third Test at Edgbaston and has since been diagnosed with a minor strain.
The 28-year-old batsman was withdrawn from a personal appearance in Leeds on Tuesday night and confined to the team hotel for treatment.
Australia physio Alex Kountouris said: "Michael Clarke has an abdominal strain that became sore after the completion of Monday's game. He will continue to be treated with a view to him being fit for the fourth Test beginning on Friday."