Aussies debate Lee return

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While England face a last-minute decision on whether national hero Andrew Flintoff can defy the pain in his right knee in the fourth match of the npower series, the Australia selectors need to make what is potentially an even trickier call on paceman Brett Lee.

Lee has missed the first three Tests with a side strain and captain Ricky Ponting said: "I'm sure what the selectors will be thinking about now is whether he has done enough bowling at full pace to warrant selection in a Test match."

He added: "It's not just one day of bowling; it could be two or three, successive."

Lee's recovery has been a frustrating sideshow for Australia, after he suffered the strain in a tour match against the England Lions in Worcester at the start of last month.

"The injury probably went on a little bit longer than Brett would have liked, or we all would have liked," Ponting admits.

"I think he's only had a couple of days of bowling at 100%. We'll have to listen to what he has to say about how he is feeling, but more importantly weigh up where we are in the series and whether we can go with a guy who has only bowled a couple of days at full pace."

Lee's confinement to the indoor school on Thursday afternoon - while his team-mates practised on the square - raised eyebrows and brought varying interpretations.

But he did not appear to be holding back in the nets on Wednesday as Australia put in some hard yards - and Ponting was encouraged by some of what he saw from him.

"Brett ran in as hard as he has for a long time yesterday - most of us batters were on the end of a few short ones," he reported.