Flintoff sidelined until 2008

Andrew Flintoff: more ankle issues © Getty Images

Andrew Flintoff seems almost certain to miss England's Test series against Sri Lanka in December after his latest consultation with an ankle specialist in Holland.

Flintoff is currently awaiting the results of yet another scan on his troublesome ankle, but he is not expected to feature in any more cricket in 2007, and could yet be forced to pull out of the tour to New Zealand next February. The specialist's report is due to be sent to the ECB shortly.

"We would love to have him in the squad but we won't risk Andrew in the Test matches," said England's coach, Peter Moores, after Flintoff was reported by the Daily Mail to be "frustrated and worried" by his constant struggle for fitness.

"He has not done any training since returning from the World Twenty20 in South Africa and the earliest he could be back is in New Zealand in February," added the source, "but there's no guarantee of that, either.

"We are looking anywhere on the planet for help. There might be a surgeon in America, for example, who has encountered something like the problems Freddie is suffering ... maybe a baseball player or basketball player ... anything, to be honest."

England depart for New Zealand on January 28, where they are scheduled to play two Twenty20 games, five one-day internationals and three Test matches, starting in Hamilton on March 5.