Flintoff, who didn't played in the first two Tests against the West Indies, was ruled out of the third match of the series, on Thursday.
LONDON: Andrew Flintoff will return for England as a fully-fledged all-rounder and not a specialist batsman after his latest bout of ankle surgery, according to chairman of selectors David Graveney.
Flintoff, who didn't played in the first two Tests against the West Indies, was ruled out of the third match of the series, starting at his Old Trafford home ground on Thursday, after a third operation on his left ankle in as many years last week.
Pace bowler Flintoff, whose heroics with both bat and ball played a major part in England's Ashes series triumph of 2005, puts plenty of strain on the ankle in his delivery stride.
And with the international programme showing no sign of being reduced any time soon, many have questioned whether Flintoff, England's captain during their 5-0 Ashes hammering in Australia, can regularly appear in both Test and one-day cricket as an all-rounder.
One suggestion to reduce his workload is that the 29-year-old play as a specialist batsman in the shorter form of the game.
"It's an interesting theory," said Graveney. "But as far as we're concerned Freddie is injured and has a number of weeks to get over this operation but when he comes back we would anticipate him taking part in all forms of cricket whether it is one-day or Test matches.
"There has been a lot of speculation about whether Freddie will continue in the role he has been as one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket, but we believe he'll be playing a full part for England before the end of the (northern) summer."
"Freddie had his operation on Friday and there is nothing they found there which they weren't expecting, although there's some debris in his ankle," Graveney added.
England are set to field an unchanged XI from the one that beat West Indies by an innings and 283 runs - the tourists heaviest Test innings defeat - at Headingley that saw them go 1-0 up after the drawn Lord's opener.
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