ANDREW Flintoff has been ruled out of England's one-day series in Sri Lanka after failing to prove his fitness following an ankle operation.

The 29-year-old all-rounder struggled through the end of the summers NatWest series against India and Englands five matches in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa, often wincing in pain when he was bowling.

But after their exit from the tournament yesterday, England have decided to fly the Lancashire player back home for further strengthening work on his troublesome left ankle, which was operated on for the third time this summer.

His place in the squad for the five-match series in Sri Lanka will be taken by Hampshires Chris Tremlett, who impressed in the recent series win over India.

England will make a decision on Flintoff's availability for the Test series in Sri Lanka, which starts in December, after monitoring his progress over the coming weeks.

This in an ongoing process. We needed to test out how the ankle was and this tournament was ideal because he could only bowl four overs a match, said England coach Peter Moores.

Now he will go back to England for strengthening work and we will see where we go from there.