England captain Andrew Strauss has warned that talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will not play in the fourth npower Test at Headingley on "sentimental grounds".

Lancashire's Flintoff bowled for 35 minutes in the nets yesterday to test out his troublesome right knee.

The reaction of the joint, iced intensively since the drawn third match concluded on Monday evening, will be discussed by Flintoff and the England medical staff before a decision on selection is made.

That is not likely to take place until this morning but Strauss has insisted he is prepared to make the toughest of decisions if he is not convinced Flintoff, 31, can get through a five-day match.

"When you're captain of the team you're motivated by what's right for the team," said Strauss.

"Obviously if Fred plays and has a detrimental effect on the team, it would be wrong for us to have made that decision on sentimental grounds and I think Fred would appreciate that himself. The last thing he wants to happen is to play and then not be able to fulfil a role in the game.

"It's a dire situation for an individual: he will be very honest with us, and sentimentality is pushed to the back of all our minds."

One thing going for Flintoff is the fact he has pulled through the first three Tests, turning in the crucial performance with the ball in the 115-run win at Lord's which opened up the 1-0 advantage in the series, although that was done on the back of several cortisone and lubricating injections.

"From my point of view you've got to take the player's view on board and listen to that very carefully because he knows his body better than anyone," said Strauss.

"We need to take the medical opinion on board because they have got an idea of what might happen if he plays.

"But ultimately it's the decision of both myself and the coach as to how full a part he might be able to play in the match."

If Flintoff cannot play, then England will have to alter the balance of their side by either bolstering the batting with debutant Jonathan Trott or recall one of pace bowlers Steve Harmison or Ryan Sidebottom.

Typically, as has become the norm under the Strauss-Andy Flower regime, England are refusing to reveal their hand until the toss.

"Harmy is bowling beautifully, there is no doubt about that, and he is a genuine option to play in this Test match," Strauss said.

"Ryan Sidebottom also bowled beautifully in the nets.

"There have been a lot of cases in the past where we have struggled to get three decent seamers on the park, now suddenly we have got five or six of them queuing up to play."