Andrew Flintoff must wait at least six weeks to learn whether he can return to England duty against Bangladesh in March following an operation on his right knee last night.

The all-rounder underwent surgery on the knee for the second time in four months after helping England regain the Ashes and declared his intention to make his comeback for three one-dayers in Bangladesh.

“Flintoff underwent a routine arthroscopy and micro-fracture to two small areas in his right knee,” read an ECB statement today.

“The recovery from surgery will require him to be non-weight-bearing for the first six to eight weeks post surgery. At the end of this period the knee will be reviewed by his surgeon and the timescale for ongoing rehabilitation further determined.”

But leading knee surgeon Derek Bickerstaff, who operated on former England cricketers Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones, believes Flintoff's target may be too ambitious.

Bickerstaff said: “Freddie will be on crutches for about four weeks and he won't be able to do any impact activity, such as running or jumping, for a prolonged period of time.

“I would keep him off all impact activities for six months. Freddie may feel he is fine but the lesion might not be healed properly. If you bring him back too soon, the knee can start breaking down.

“My concern is that even if he is back within a year, it could still break down later in his career.”

If Bickerstaff's schedule is followed, Flintoff would be unable to bowl until February, meaning his participation in the Bangladesh series would be extremely unlikely.

Kevin Pietersen, meanwhile, is anxious to return in time for the tour of South Africa. The batsman has had complications in his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury but said: “I can't wait to get back.”