Flintoff, who is stepping up his rehabilitation in Portugal, was named in England's provisional 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy and is being considered as part of the final squad of 14, which will be announced in the next week.

"There has been talk about him in the initial stages of playing as a batsman, but assuming he doesn't have any problems with his rehabilitation he will definitely be in the shake-up," confirmed David Graveney, the chairman of selectors. "Because of the timeline we've been given by the ICC of September 7 we're going to have to put people in there who we're not quite sure about," Graveney said. "We will obviously consult closely with our medical staff, but I would say it's extremely positive that Freddie has got a chance of going."

Graveney also suggested that Ashley Giles, who has been out of action for nearly a year with a hip injury, could feature in the final 14. Less promising is the news of Simon Jones, though, who is making good but tentative steps on his path to recover.

"Giles has now been signed off and he's now concentrating on cricket-related skills," he said. "He's walking through his bowling action now, which is a very positive sign. Dr Steadman is also pleased with Simon Jones, but caution is the by-word with him.

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The group stages of the Champions Trophy begin on October 15.