Flintoff upbeat on England return
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Andrew Flintoff is convinced he can recapture his Ashes-winning form after the fourth operation on his left ankle, reports BBC.
The England all-rounder believes Dutch surgeon Professor Niek van Dijk has finally cured the problem that had threatened to cut short his career.
The 29-year-old told The Sun: "I'm absolutely confident I can get back to playing for Lancashire and England again to the level I have in the past.
"The surgeon went into the joint and found things wrong."
Flintoff had travelled to the Netherlands to be treated by Professor Van Dijk, who is considered one of the world's leading authorities on arthroscopic ankle surgery.
"He removed some bone fragments that were deeply embedded and did some work on the tendon too," added Flintoff.
"Professor Van Dijk is more than happy with what he has done and confident he has got to the bottom of the problem."
Flintoff now faces seven months of recovery and will miss England's tours to Sri Lanka in December and New Zealand in early 2008.
But he has not set a date for a return to action, preferring instead to concentrate on getting his ankle back to full strength.
The England all-rounder believes Dutch surgeon Professor Niek van Dijk has finally cured the problem that had threatened to cut short his career.
The 29-year-old told The Sun: "I'm absolutely confident I can get back to playing for Lancashire and England again to the level I have in the past.
"The surgeon went into the joint and found things wrong."
Flintoff had travelled to the Netherlands to be treated by Professor Van Dijk, who is considered one of the world's leading authorities on arthroscopic ankle surgery.
"He removed some bone fragments that were deeply embedded and did some work on the tendon too," added Flintoff.
"Professor Van Dijk is more than happy with what he has done and confident he has got to the bottom of the problem."
Flintoff now faces seven months of recovery and will miss England's tours to Sri Lanka in December and New Zealand in early 2008.
But he has not set a date for a return to action, preferring instead to concentrate on getting his ankle back to full strength.