Flintoff suffers deep vein thrombosis after surgery

Flintoff recently underwent knee surgery (REUTERS)

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has sustained a minor deep vein thrombosis in his right calf after undergoing knee surgery, the England and Wales Cricket Board said yesterday.

"Andrew Flintoff recently suffered a common complication of surgery, a minor deep vein thrombosis in his right calf," a statement said. "This will require a simple course of treatment and will not complicate his recovery from surgery."

Flintoff, 31, underwent surgery on his right knee the day after England regained the Ashes at The Oval last month. He announced his retirement from Test cricket before the Lord's Test after the latest in a series of career-threatening injuries and will now concentrate on the one-day game.

He is not expected to return until next year – possibly not until next summer – after his operation in August. At that time, the England and Wales Cricket Board said: "The recovery will require him to be non-weight-bearing for the first six to eight weeks post surgery. At the end of this six-to-eight-week period, the knee will be reviewed by his surgeon and the time-scale for ongoing rehabilitation further determined."

Flintoff played a key role in England's vital victory at Lord's in the second Test, taking five wickets in the Australian second innings.