Sports: Flintoff 'ready' for South Africa

Andrew Flintoff is confident his injury problems are behind him as he prepares for to make his England comeback. The Lancashire all-rounder, 30, has had four ankle operations, the most recent in October 2007, while a recent side strain hampered his England return. "If I didn't think I could get back to this, then I wouldn't have had any of the operations," he told BBC Sport. "Hopefully the ankle is a thing of the past now. The operation was so long ago that I've almost forgotten about it." Flintoff is hoping to play his first Test for England in 18 months and replaces Chris Tremlett in an otherwise unchanged squad for the second Test against South Africa at Headingly, which begins on Friday. He is likely to go straight into the team at the expense of the struggling Paul Collingwood or Ryan Sidebottom, who has a back strain, but Flintoff is taking nothing for granted. "I'm desperate to make that final 11, desperate to get back out on that pitch," he said. "But the lads have been unchanged for a while now. "I've come in to the squad and I'm sure there are some tough decisions to be made by the management and selectors.