CRICKET: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is convinced he will be best served building up his fitness at home in his bid to be ready for the one-day series in the Caribbean.
Flintoff flies home tonight with a view to returning to the West Indies before long.
The 31-year-old will be sidelined for at least another 10 days due to his hip injury and has therefore been ruled out of the final Test in Trinidad.
He will continue his rehabilitation under the supervision of his own fitness guru Dave Roberts, with England's chief medical officer Nick Peirce overseeing the process from Loughborough.
Flintoff is scheduled to join up again with the squad on March 10, the final day of the Test series, fitness permitting.
"One of the things it allows me to do is get back to working with people I have worked with in the past, who have helped me to get fit, and get away from cricket," said Flintoff.
"The lads don't need me hanging around the dressing room. I can get back, get fit and be on this tour again as quickly as I can."
Flintoff sustained his latest injury, a muscle tear, during the drawn third Test in Antigua.
"The first part of it is letting it settle down," Flintoff added.
"Over the last two or three days I have been doing some exercises, I am quite pleased with where I am at the moment.
"But obviously I wish I wasn't in this position."
England's tour management sanctioned the temporary departure from the tour last night.
Hugh Morris, managing director England Cricket, said: "Being around the England team environment can be something of a goldfish bowl and by returning home he can concentrate on receiving some intensive treatment.
"Clearly getting him fit for the one-day internationals is our priority and focus.
"A muscle tear is a muscle tear and time is a key ingredient in this."
England are scheduled to play a Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals upon the conclusion of this Test series.
But, the longer his injury takes to heal, the more scrutiny will be placed on Flintoff's lucrative deal with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, which runs for three weeks in April.