Captain Andrew Strauss said that England can win the Ashes series without their maverick all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.
Flintoff, who will retire after the series, has been on pain killers to ease the inflamation on his troublesome right knee.
Flintoff was clearly struggling during the third Test at Edgbaston and is now facing a race against time to prove his fitness before the fourth Test begins at Headingley Friday.
Asked whether England could win the series without Flintoff, Strauss said: "Yes, I think we can - we've had to (go without Flintoff) plenty of times over the last two years, so it wouldn't be anything new to us."
"Generally, the bowlers have stepped up when he hasn't played but at the moment he's in great nick with both ball and bat so we don't want to play without him if we can help it. We will have to swing with the punches we get and if that is the case then I think we've got a good enough squad to be able to deal with that," Strauss was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.
Strauss said that Flintoff has been honest about his body, but is desperate to play the last two games.
{{/usCountry}}Strauss said that Flintoff has been honest about his body, but is desperate to play the last two games.
{{/usCountry}}"But I think he realises that if he's not fit, then he won't help us," Strauss said.