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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Flintoff upbeat after injections | Flintoff upbeat after injections |
| (1 day later) | |
| Andrew Flintoff has been given injections in his left ankle to cure the discomfort which has plagued him throughout the Ashes series. | Andrew Flintoff has been given injections in his left ankle to cure the discomfort which has plagued him throughout the Ashes series. |
| The England captain did not bowl a spell of longer than five overs in the first three Test defeats. | The England captain did not bowl a spell of longer than five overs in the first three Test defeats. |
| "It's no secret I've had discomfort in it over the past week or so and the injection is just precautionary. | "It's no secret I've had discomfort in it over the past week or so and the injection is just precautionary. |
| "I'm not envisaging any long-term problems or worrying about these next two Test matches," he insisted. | "I'm not envisaging any long-term problems or worrying about these next two Test matches," he insisted. |
| onClick="javascript:launchAVConsoleStory('6207631'); return false;" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/video_and_audio/help_guide/4304501.stm">Report: Australia relaxed ahead of Fourth Ashes Test onClick="javascript:launchAVConsoleStory('6205861'); return false;" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/video_and_audio/help_guide/4304501.stm">News conference: England captain Andrew Flintoff | |
| All-rounder Flintoff missed the second half of the domestic season after undergoing another bout of surgery on the ankle. | All-rounder Flintoff missed the second half of the domestic season after undergoing another bout of surgery on the ankle. |
| He did not bowl in the nets on Saturday, with the fourth Test looming on 26 December. | He did not bowl in the nets on Saturday, with the fourth Test looming on 26 December. |
| "My ankle is an area where I have got some discomfort, but if you speak to a lot of bowlers they will tell you they've got areas of their body which aren't 100%," he said. | "My ankle is an area where I have got some discomfort, but if you speak to a lot of bowlers they will tell you they've got areas of their body which aren't 100%," he said. |
| "My area is my ankle and it's something I'm going to have live with." | "My area is my ankle and it's something I'm going to have live with." |
| There are quite a few games in the one-day series, but I'm going to go into it as a fit player Andrew Flintoff | There are quite a few games in the one-day series, but I'm going to go into it as a fit player Andrew Flintoff |
| Flintoff bowled only 28 overs during the third Test in Perth, where victory for Australia sealed another Ashes series victory for the hosts. | Flintoff bowled only 28 overs during the third Test in Perth, where victory for Australia sealed another Ashes series victory for the hosts. |
| In comparison, fellow paceman Steve Harmison sent down 43 overs. | In comparison, fellow paceman Steve Harmison sent down 43 overs. |
| "In the last Test match the number of overs I bowled was more of a reflection of how I bowled as opposed to my fitness," he argued. | "In the last Test match the number of overs I bowled was more of a reflection of how I bowled as opposed to my fitness," he argued. |
| "Both Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard were fantastic and from my point of view I didn't bowl as well as I'd have liked to which kept my number of overs down." | "Both Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard were fantastic and from my point of view I didn't bowl as well as I'd have liked to which kept my number of overs down." |
| Flintoff faces another intense examination of his ankle, with back-to-back Tests in Melbourne and Sydney followed by just a few days off before the start of the one-day series. | Flintoff faces another intense examination of his ankle, with back-to-back Tests in Melbourne and Sydney followed by just a few days off before the start of the one-day series. |
| But he would prefer to play in every game, despite England facing a gruelling schedule of a Twenty20 international and at least eight one-day internationals in the space of 29 days. | But he would prefer to play in every game, despite England facing a gruelling schedule of a Twenty20 international and at least eight one-day internationals in the space of 29 days. |
| "I want to play as much as I can," added Flintoff. "There are quite a few games in the one-day series, but I'm going to go into it as a fit player and hopefully play every game." | "I want to play as much as I can," added Flintoff. "There are quite a few games in the one-day series, but I'm going to go into it as a fit player and hopefully play every game." |