'Generally, the bowlers have stepped up when he hasn't played but at the moment he's in great nick with both ball and bat so we don't want to play without him if we can help it. We will have to swing with the punches we get and if that is the case then I think we've got a good enough squad to be able to deal with that,' Strauss was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

Strauss said that Flintoff has been honest about his body, but is desperate to play the last two games.

'But I think he realises that if he's not fit, then he won't help us,' Strauss said.