Captain keeps fingers crossed

Michael Vaughan does not want Andrew Flintoff to suffer the same fate © Getty Images

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Michael Vaughan is hoping Andrew Flintoff does not join him on the sidelines as England prepare for the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s.

Flintoff was set to discover the results of scans on his ankle, after reporting soreness in the problematic joint following Lancashire’s LV County Championship match at the Rose Bowl.

With just two days to go before the start of a four-Test series, the worst-case scenario could see England’s lynchpin all-rounder having to sit out the first match alongside their captain.

“We hope for God’s sake that ‘Fred’ is fine and can play a full part in the game,” said Vaughan, who had to make a tough decision himself not to risk a broken finger against the Windies.

Vaughan is optimistic he has made the right call and will be back for the second Test at Headingley, which starts next Friday.

As for Flintoff - who is hopeful that he will recover in time for Thursday - Vaughan acknowledges any injury is highly inconvenient as England seek to help one of their most potent players re-establish top form after a difficult winter.

“We have to make sure he’s fit and firing and try to get him back to the form we all know he’s capable of,” said Vaughan, who is looking forward with confidence to helping new coach Peter Moores harness the talent to improve the side’s fortunes.

“It’s going to be a fascinating few weeks because of the new regime,” he said.

“Most importantly, we have to make sure we get this team playing well and in the right structure leading into some big series to come.”

The prospects of a winning start - against tourists sure to feel the loss of master batsman and captain Brian Lara, who retired last month - are good, according to Vaughan.

“Look at our attack: (Liam) Plunkett’s just got a bagful, (Steve) Harmison a bagful and (Matthew) Hoggard is bowling beautifully.

Flintoff remains hopeful that he will be fit for the first Test

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“(Andrew) Strauss is coming off a hundred, (Alastair) Cook’s getting a hundred, Owais (Shah) is in the squad getting runs and (Kevin) Pietersen too before his little niggle.

“We’re going into a Test match in great form, with a lot of players full of confidence.”

Vaughan is therefore expecting to inherit a team from stand-in Strauss with a win under their belts next week, but he admits he has had to dig deep to get over the disappointment of his most recent fitness problem.

“This was a real bitter blow because I was so keen on playing at Lord’s on Thursday,” said the 32-year-old, who has not featured in a Test since December 2005 because of a succession of injuries, most notably with his knee.

A broken finger was the last thing he needed, after recovering from two bouts of knee surgery and also suffering hamstring trouble.

“Three balls reared off a length in the whole match - my name was on one of them. That’s the game,” he accepted as he recalled the delivery from Stuart Clark which did the damage in Yorkshire’s championship encounter at the Rose Bowl.

“I felt in good form,” he said. “But I guess it just tests your character, and this is another little test for my character. I’ve had quite a few over the last year or so.”