England have confirmed Andrew Flintoff would have made his Test comeback against New Zealand this week had he not suffered an untimely side strain.

The 30-year-old all-rounder was the subject of fevered speculation throughout last week about his prospects of playing his first Test in 16 months after several outstanding bowling performances for Lancashire.

There was concern that after a fourth operation on his left ankle during the winter that Flintoff needed more time to prove his fitness before returning to the Test arena at Lord's this week.

Just as the selectors considered their options, however, Flintoff was ruled out of the opening two Tests against New Zealand after suffering a side strain bowling for Lancashire against Durham.

But asked whether the talismanic Flintoff would have been picked had he been fit, though, coach Peter Moores confirmed he would have been included.

"Yes, he would have been in the squad had he been fit," revealed Moores.

"The whole thing with Freddie and all the talk about should he be in or should he not, it would have given us a chance to assess him.

"It would have been a decision about whether he would have been fit enough to play in that Test. As it happened that decision was taken out of our hands because obviously he got a side strain.

"Fortunately it sounds like it's a minor injury, quite a common one for bowlers, and hopefully he will get over it quickly and we'll see where we are from there."

Moores' revelation is the first time England have admitted Flintoff would have been recalled since the squad was announced on Sunday with cagey National Selector Geoff Miller so far resisting the opportunity to set the record straight.

The admission also signals England's desire to recall their fastest and most accurate bowler to their attack as soon as possible and add another dimension to their cricket.

"The most promising thing is that the ankle that has troubled him over the last two or three years and that, touch wood, has been stabilised and he's pain free," said Moores.

"That's very exciting and although his batting has been talked about a lot, batting can sometimes take a bit longer but we know what sort of player he is.

"Everybody loves bowlers who bowl 90mph. There's not millions of them around, they're a rare breed. Fred's got the advantage of not only bowling very quick but also very accurately as well, he has a natural pace and a natural length and line.

"We all like to have 90mph bowlers, but we can't always have them. Bowlers who don't bowl at 90mph can also be successful as Ryan Sidebottom has proved if they have control of their own skill and have a clear method of how to get wickets."

Moores also confirmed that when Flintoff does return it will be part of a four-man specialist bowling attack and not as one of five bowlers, which could reduce his workload.

While England must wait for Flintoff's return, they are also anxiously waiting to determine the reaction of Paul Collingwood to the third injection into his right shoulder to ease the discomfort he has been feeling over the last year.

Collingwood has been told that if this injection does not provide permanent relief he cannot have another and the next step would be an operation and rehabilitation which would rule him out for three to six months.

But England are hopeful that can be avoided with Moores confirming: "It's manageable, but we have to assess it as it goes along.

"The signs at the moment are that the injection has worked very well. It's that balance to make sure there's no long-term damage to Paul but at the moment it seems manageable.

"The way Colly plays his cricket is pretty aggressive because he does all three things so we have to make sure he can do that but the first challenge is to see what has happened with the injection, check he's fully fit and get him up and running."

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