<p>England are 1-0 up with two to play against Australia heading into the start of tomorrow's clash here at Headingley.<br />Flintoff, who has said this will be his final Test series, led England to glory with the ball in their 115-run second Test win at Lord's and then top-scored with the bat in the drawn third Test at Edgbaston.<br />But all the while he has been struggling with a right knee injury which has so far required several pain-killing injections during this series.<br />He batted during practice here on Wednesday but did not bowl.<br />The party line from England has been that Flintoff won't play unless he is "fully fit" but the term can mean different things to different people and it would be a big decision for the likes of the England selectors, England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower to leave Flintoff out. <br /><br />"We're expecting him to play because that's what he has done over the last three Tests," said Australia all-rounder Shane Watson.<br />"I'm definitely preparing for him to be fit and playing. He's a tough guy. And for him to be able to do what he has done has been awesome.<br />"For me as a batsman to be able to face Freddie fired up and going hard is one of the biggest and best challenges in my career.<br />"Let's hope he's fit and firing and continue the challenge."<br />England have certainly given themselves plenty of options if Flintoff is ruled out.<br />Uncapped South Africa born batsman Jonathan Trott is in a 14-man squad as are left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom, who began his career at Headingley with Yorkshire, and fast bowler Stephen Harmison.<br />"If Fred (Flintoff) can't play, Trott is an option to bat at No 6 then we balance the bowling attack thereafter," said Flower.<br />"We trust our top six to score the bulk of the runs and the others have the onus of taking the 20 wickets.<br />"If someone had offered us being one up with two to play at the start we would have taken it." <br /><br />But while England's quicks have been a threat when the ball is swinging, they have a much reduced force when overhead conditions have not been helpful.<br />Australia, who have not been behind this far into an Ashes series since England's victorious tour 'Down Under' in 1986/87, have issues of their own.<br />They have yet to take 20 wickets in a match this series although whether they will recall experienced fast bowler Brett Lee, who has not played in the first three Tests of this series because of a side injury, remains to be seen.<br />In-form batsman Michael Clarke has an abdominal problem, although he is expected to be fit after scoring hundreds in the last two Tests.<br />Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Brad Haddin hopes to be back despite missing the third Test with a broken finger.<br />Both Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson have proved expensive with the ball, as was Watson at Edgbaston, but Australia may decide to do without off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and play an extra quick.<br />Ricky Ponting is desperate not to become the first Australia captain in more than a century to be a losing skipper on two tours of England and Watson said, "The intensity's starting to rise up because we need to win."<br />This match will be played out against a backdrop of a building site at the Kirkstall Lane End of the ground where work on the new pavilion will be delayed during the Test. <br /><br />Of greater concern to Australia, after an Edgbaston Test where effectively two days were lost to bad weather, will be the ability of the outfield to cope with any rain.<br />In May, despite the installation of a new USD 940,273 drainage system, a one-day international between England and the West Indies at Headingley was washed out without a ball being bowled.<br />But Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan insisted, "We have since seen an 85 per cent improvement in the infiltration rate of the water flowing through the ground."</p>
<p>England are 1-0 up with two to play against Australia heading into the start of tomorrow's clash here at Headingley.<br />Flintoff, who has said this will be his final Test series, led England to glory with the ball in their 115-run second Test win at Lord's and then top-scored with the bat in the drawn third Test at Edgbaston.<br />But all the while he has been struggling with a right knee injury which has so far required several pain-killing injections during this series.<br />He batted during practice here on Wednesday but did not bowl.<br />The party line from England has been that Flintoff won't play unless he is "fully fit" but the term can mean different things to different people and it would be a big decision for the likes of the England selectors, England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower to leave Flintoff out. <br /><br />"We're expecting him to play because that's what he has done over the last three Tests," said Australia all-rounder Shane Watson.<br />"I'm definitely preparing for him to be fit and playing. He's a tough guy. And for him to be able to do what he has done has been awesome.<br />"For me as a batsman to be able to face Freddie fired up and going hard is one of the biggest and best challenges in my career.<br />"Let's hope he's fit and firing and continue the challenge."<br />England have certainly given themselves plenty of options if Flintoff is ruled out.<br />Uncapped South Africa born batsman Jonathan Trott is in a 14-man squad as are left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom, who began his career at Headingley with Yorkshire, and fast bowler Stephen Harmison.<br />"If Fred (Flintoff) can't play, Trott is an option to bat at No 6 then we balance the bowling attack thereafter," said Flower.<br />"We trust our top six to score the bulk of the runs and the others have the onus of taking the 20 wickets.<br />"If someone had offered us being one up with two to play at the start we would have taken it." <br /><br />But while England's quicks have been a threat when the ball is swinging, they have a much reduced force when overhead conditions have not been helpful.<br />Australia, who have not been behind this far into an Ashes series since England's victorious tour 'Down Under' in 1986/87, have issues of their own.<br />They have yet to take 20 wickets in a match this series although whether they will recall experienced fast bowler Brett Lee, who has not played in the first three Tests of this series because of a side injury, remains to be seen.<br />In-form batsman Michael Clarke has an abdominal problem, although he is expected to be fit after scoring hundreds in the last two Tests.<br />Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Brad Haddin hopes to be back despite missing the third Test with a broken finger.<br />Both Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson have proved expensive with the ball, as was Watson at Edgbaston, but Australia may decide to do without off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and play an extra quick.<br />Ricky Ponting is desperate not to become the first Australia captain in more than a century to be a losing skipper on two tours of England and Watson said, "The intensity's starting to rise up because we need to win."<br />This match will be played out against a backdrop of a building site at the Kirkstall Lane End of the ground where work on the new pavilion will be delayed during the Test. <br /><br />Of greater concern to Australia, after an Edgbaston Test where effectively two days were lost to bad weather, will be the ability of the outfield to cope with any rain.<br />In May, despite the installation of a new USD 940,273 drainage system, a one-day international between England and the West Indies at Headingley was washed out without a ball being bowled.<br />But Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan insisted, "We have since seen an 85 per cent improvement in the infiltration rate of the water flowing through the ground."</p>