Flintoff returns from IPL, faces knee op

England talisman Andrew Flintoff is to undergo knee surgery that will put him out of the game for up to five weeks.

Flintoff returned from the Indian Premier League today (Friday) to undergo surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Flintoff had been appearing for Chennai Super KIngs in the IPL when he felt discomfort in his right knee. The Chennai medical staff immediately contacted ECB Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Peirce.

Scans were taken of the right knee in a Durban hospital and they detected a slight medial meniscal tear in the knee and after these scans were viewed by Nick Peirce, radiologists the surgeon it was decided that Flintoff should return to London.

Flintoff, whose career has been interrupted by four ankle operations and one for a hernia already, will undergo an operation early next week. Surgeons are confident that he should recover from the keyhole surgery within three to five weeks.

Flintoff’s participation in the IPL, ahead of England’s busy summer schedule, was the subject of some controversy. However, Peirce said that the injury was not the result of anything that had happened during Flintoff’s three games in South Africa: “This sort of degenerative injury though is one that could have happened at any time any where.”

Hugh Morris, England Cricket Managing Director, added: “Andrew has been extremely unlucky with injuries but if there is one saving grace it is that the injury has occured now rather than on the eve of either the ICC World Twenty20 or the npower Ashes.

“Having the surgery now means that Flintoff should be available for both those events although he is certain to miss the npower Test series against the West Indies.”

England announce their team for the first Test v the West Indies, next Wednesday.

If Flintoff returns to action in five weeks’ time, it will give him precisely seven days’ grace before the start of the ICC World Twenty20.