Ashes matchwinner Andrew Flintoff will only play at Edgbaston if England are 100 per cent confident of him getting through the whole five days at full capacity.

Flintoff, 31, overcame the effects of his right knee injury to claim the man-of-the-match award in the 115-run Lord's victory over Australia last week.

He has been sore in the aftermath, however, and is currently resting up in a bid to make next Thursday's third match of the npower series.

Flintoff conveyed his dedication to getting through the entire campaign before retiring from Test cricket only last week, and says he will play through the pain, but neither he nor the management will put the good of the team in jeopardy.

"I don't think those sort of decisions take an incredible amount of strength," said coach Andy Flower.

"If guys are fit enough to get through and contribute to winning Test matches then they'll be selected.

"If they're not it's not a tough decision to make, you just don't select him."

This has become Flintoff's farewell series but it added to the piquancy of the occasion at Lord's, where he claimed only his third five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

"We know what a significant contribution his was," Flower reflected.

"I think one of his main contributions to us over the five days was giving the side confidence and belief."

Opening batsman Alastair Cook acknowledged the impact of Flintoff's performance as he pounded into the crease for one of his final spells in the Test arena.

"He is a whole-hearted cricketer and the decision (to retire) has been made for him," Cook said.

"He had a fantastic game at Lord's and hopefully over the next few days he will recover well and bowl at the same sort of pace at Edgbaston."

England will already be without their premier batsman Kevin Pietersen for the final three matches of the series, with Warwickshire's Ian Bell primed to fill in on his home ground.

"He's our best batter," Cook added, of Pietersen. "He can play match-winning innings and take the game away from the opposition very quickly.

"He will be a huge loss but there is the chance for someone else to come in and fill his shoes.

"He has not scored a huge amount of runs in this series but we will miss the calibre of player he is."

The England and Wales Cricket Board came under scrutiny for allowing Flintoff and Pietersen to play in the Indian Premier League earlier this Ashes year amid concerns over their heavy workloads.

Both men are contracted to their respective Indian franchises for one more season and Flintoff is likely to attract interest from other domestic teams around the world once he brings the curtain down on his Test career.

Rumours that Queensland were interested in signing him as a 20-over specialist first surfaced during the first Test in Cardiff.