Sport News

Flintoff worried by ankle injury

category: Cricket

14.05.2008 16:52

The 30-year-old underwent a fourth operation last October and has not played for England since the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia.

"I would be lying if I said there wasn't a niggling bit of doubt in my mind," he said. "After four operations I think that is inevitable.

"But I just hope that in July I will still be alright."

Flintoff had been tipped to return for the test series against New Zealand after recovering from the injury.

However, he suffered a side strain injury playing for Lancashire last week and will miss the Lord's Test on Thursday and the second Test at Old Trafford, which starts on 23 May.

Flintoff was making good progress from his ankle operation before his latest setback and he believes he still has much to offer England.

"I still feel my best years are in front of me", Flintoff told the Wisden Cricketer.

"That's not just something I say in interviews, I definitely believe it.

"Everybody is always going to ask about my ankle and how I'm going on but I've just been regarding myself as a fit player.

"Even when I was getting ready to go to Dubai with the Lancashire lads for our pre-season tour the operation had been that long ago that I'd almost forgotten it.

"I know it's a cliche but let's just take it day by day."

Flintoff has not suffered any reaction to bowling at full pace for Lancashire at the start of the county season.

And he feels Dutch surgeon Niek van Dijk has finally corrected the problem.

"He went into the joint and found things wrong. He removed some bone fragments that were deeply embedded and also did some work on the tendon," he added.

"Having seen what the surgeon took out, I was confident the ankle was going to be fine.

"There has been something clinically wrong with my ankle and hopefully, having had this operation, the problem has been eradicated."

Original text is here

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