England unchanged for third Test

England have kept faith with the team that beat West Indies at Headingley for next week's third Test at Old Trafford.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff misses the rest of the series after ankle surgery and pace bowler Matthew Hoggard has failed to recover from a thigh problem.

But Ian Bell, who struggled with a back spasm in Leeds, has been cleared to take his place in the batting line-up.

Paceman James Anderson has been put on standby to join the team on Wednesday evening in case of injury or illness.

Hoggard suffered his injury in the drawn first Test at Lord's and had hoped to play this weekend to prove his fitness before suffering a setback.

"We're prepared to give him as long as he needs to ensure the injury does not become a longer-term problem. We are hopeful that with further rehabilitation he will come into calculations for the fourth Test in Durham," chairman of selectors David Graveney said.

In Hoggard's absence swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom picked up a match haul of 8-86 at Headingley in his first Test for six years to help England claim victory by an innings.

Graveney said Sidebottom's performance "spoke volumes" for the strength of the county game and expects his panel to have some "very difficult decisions" when all the injuries clear up.

"Ryan's developed his game at Nottinghamshire and swung the ball much more than he did when he previously played for England," he told Live.

We are confident Freddie will play a full part as a cricketer for England before the end of the summer

Graveney on Flintoff

"Also the point I've always made is it's not a closed shop and shows to anybody out there in county cricket that if you put the performances in we'll watch and hopefully you'll get your chance.

"Those who are currently in the team, and this is not a threat, are not bomb-proof, There are people knocking on the door and hopefully we can get to a situation where lots of people are competing for a small number of positions."

Meanwhile, Graveney is convinced Flintoff will be able to bat and bowl before the end of the summer.

The 29-year-old has had several ankle operations in recent years and there have been suggestions he might give up bowling in one-day cricket to lessen his workload.

But Graveney added on the Sportsweek programme: "There's been a lot of speculation whether Freddie will continue being one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket.

"Without building up hopes in one way and being pessimistic in another, we are confident Freddie will play a full part as a cricketer for England before the end of the summer.

"He has a number of weeks to get over this latest operation and we would anticipate him taking part in all forms of cricket."

England team for third Test: Michael Vaughan (capt), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wkt), Liam Plunkett, Steve Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar.