Moores: Flintoff would have returned

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 speculation throughout last week about his prospects of playing his first Test in 16 months after several outstanding bowling performances for Lancashire before injury ruled him out of the first two Tests.

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

He added: "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."