Vaughan sets target of third Test return to bolster Ashes defence
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Your support makes all the difference.Michael Vaughan yesterday said that he would be back playing cricket in three weeks and would then be available for selection for England's Ashes tour.
The official England captain, speaking at the pre-Ashes lunch at the National Sporting Club in London, missed the entire summer season with a knee injury but if his return goes to plan he would be available for selection for the two-day match against Western Australia on 9 December and then the third Test, which begins in Perth on 14 December.
"I hope to be playing cricket again in three weeks," Vaughan said. "The knee is coming on well and by that time I hope to be able to put a call in and say 'I'm available to play'.
"I leave for Australia a week on Saturday and I'm going purely to concentrate on rehabilitation. I won't be doing any commercial work when I'm there.
"Whether it takes two games, five games or a month to be match fit is up to the selectors."
Geoff Miller, one of the England selectors, was also present at the lunch and said: "If this chap gets fit again he creates a problem for the people picking the team. It's a problem which will be enjoyed."
Vaughan also revealed that stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff had phoned him "a couple of weeks ago" for advice about leading England against the Australians. "I told him he had to be himself and try not to be someone he isn't. At the end of the day the players will follow him because he is Freddie," he said.
Vaughan added he believed England could retain the urn. "We've got a magnificent chance. We've got a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets, which is key. The only unanswered question is: can we cope with the pressure, which will be immense? I believe we've got immense character in the squad.
"I got a text from Colly [Paul Collingwood] and he told me he'd had a great net, the weather was fine, and one of the lads was chatting up a leggy blonde, so the spirit sounds pretty good.
"Australia talk a great game but as a unit they are very, very vulnerable."
"They will want to I murder us. They were hurt by what we did to them last year. So in their eyes, they will believe they will whitewash us. But I have a quiet confidence that we have a good chance of retaining the Ashes."
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