All-rounder Andrew Flintoff travels to Tasmania today with England still not sure of playing against Australia A as he struggles to regain fitness after a hernia operation.

The Lancashire vice-captain had surgery last August, missing the final Test against India at The Oval, to ensure he would have recovered for the start of the Ashes series. But with only nine days before the second Test starts in Adelaide his fitness is still an issue.

He was sent for a scan yesterday after complaining of discomfort in his back while featuring as a substitute fielder for Simon Jones during the Test, and although he has been given the all-clear, the tourists' management are no more than hopeful that he will be able to feature in Friday's match.

England claimed yesterday they were ''optimistic'' about Flintoff's participation and have hired a Pilates teacher, which they also did in South Africa two years ago, to work alongside him to try and speed up his recovery.

But should Flintoff fail to make this week's match, it would put his participation in the remainder of the series in doubt because it leads into an intense programme of international matches.

As soon as England finish in Hobart, they travel on to Adelaide, where they will play the first of two back-to-back Tests there and in Perth.

Then comes the first half of the triangular one-day tournament involving Australia and Sri Lanka before the back-to-back Christmas and New Year Tests in Melbourne and Sydney which complete the Ashes series.

Flintoff's current state is in stark contrast to the optimistic reports shortly before the first Test, when he returned from the Academy in Adelaide, where he had been continuing his rehabilitation, claiming he was ready to play at the Gabba.

After featuring in the warm-up match against Queensland, England decided not to risk him in the Test because he was still feeling stiff after his first competitive cricket in nearly two months.

By now, though, they were expecting him to become a full-time playing member of the squad.

It has been a frustrating period for captain Nasser Hussain, who has already criticised the medical information they were given before the tour started, and coach Duncan Fletcher.

''Medical advice isn't a perfect science, so it's difficult,'' admitted Fletcher.

''Some of the advice we've been given has been pretty close but everybody's got to get involved in this and the players have to make sure they carry out the procedures given to them.

''In any team you have people who look after their own fitness problems and there are others who need a little bit more guidance."

England are in the process of appointing a chief medical officer, who will be based at their Academy of Excellence to be set up at Loughborough, who will oversee both the monitoring of injuries and treatment.

''Once he is appointed that will centralise everything which is very important,'' claimed Fletcher.

''At the moment I believe our physiotherapists are being treated like doctors and they're not medical people at all."

Yorkshire fast bowler Chris Silverwood will meet up with the squad in Hobart and is expected to play alongside Steve Harmison and Alex Tudor as they battle it out for a place in the second Test line-up on November 21.

Australia A include Durham's Martin Love and two players who have featured for Yorkshire - Greg Blewett and Matthew Elliott.

Australia A: JP Maher (Queensland, capt), GS Blewett (South Australia), SR Clark (NSW), MJ Clarke (NSW), MTG Elliott (Victoria), BJ Haddin (NSW, wkt) NM Hauritz (QLD), ML Love (QLD), AA Noffke (QLD), MJ North (Western Australia), BA Williams (WA)