Andrew Flintoff is heading to India with Lancashire's academy in late-February, as he steps up his rehabilitation from ankle surgery, and hopes to join his county colleagues in a tournament in the UAE in March if he manages to prove his fitness.

Flintoff hasn't played for England since the World Twenty20 in South Africa last September, having undergone his fourth ankle operation over the winter. He was originally earmarked for the England Lions tour to India, which gets underway on Thursday, but an ECB spokesman said his absence from that trip was not a cause for concern.

"It was never definitely decided that Andrew was going to join up with the Lions squad, it was only ever a possibility," the spokesman told BBC Sport. "The medical team have decided that it would be in his best interests to continue his progress, which is going very well, with Lancashire."

Lancashire's cricket manager, Mike Watkinson, reiterated the ECB's faith in Flintoff's progress. "Lancashire's pre-season training camp is in Dubai in mid-March, and if everything continues as planned Freddie will be part of that," he told BBC Sport.

The 14-man Lions squad has undergone several changes since it was originally picked last month. Essex's wicketkeeper James Foster, Gloucestershire's fast bowler Steve Kirby and the Nottinghamshire seamer Charlie Shreck were called up on Tuesday because of injuries to the Worcestershire pairing of Steven Davies and Kabir Ali. The squad also includes Monty Panesar, who will link up with the senior squad at the end of February for the Tests in New Zealand.