England remain confident about the fitness of Andrew Flintoff for next week's fourth Test after fears about the seriousness of his side strain were calmed by positive X-ray results.
There were fears the injury, sustained while bowling 49.1 overs during their 196-run defeat against South Africa in Cape Town, could sideline Flintoff for up to six weeks if it was diagnosed as an intercostal muscle tear.
But a scan at a local hospital revealed the injury to be a minor tear of his abdominal muscle under the 12th rib, which is expected to respond to massage and ice treatment.
There are only six days remaining before Flintoff is due to take the field and bowl his quota of overs in the fourth Test at the Wanderers. And although it is a short space of time to complete a full recovery captain Michael Vaughan is upbeat about the all-rounder's chances of playing.
Vaughan stressed: "Freddie's fine and he'll be going to the Johannesburg game as fit as he went into this game - I think he'll be fit enough to bowl at the Wanderers."
The captain also rejected criticism he over-bowled Flintoff during the last Test, which followed another heavy workload of 37 overs during the drawn Test at Durban.
Vaughan explained: "In a situation where you're trying to keep the runs down and making sure they don't get off to a flyer and declare as early as they can, you have to bowl your best bowlers and Freddie is that bowler at the minute.
"I know he's our all-rounder and sometimes we have to look after him, but there have been no signs of any niggles over the last three weeks.
"He's been our best bowler and you have to bowl your best bowlers at the crucial periods."
Another player hopeful of being fit for Johannesburg is Surrey left-hander Mark Butcher, who was forced to withdraw on the morning of the Newlands Test after experiencing discomfort in his left wrist.
Butcher has been fitted with a brace to immobilise his wrist and speed up his recovery in the hope he can bat again early next week and provide competition for Robert Key, who took his place in Cape Town.