LANCASHIRE and England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will make his come-back from injury with a strong-looking Red Rose second team against their Durham counterparts today.

The 30-year-old has not played any cricket since suffering a side strain playing against Durham in early May.

He will be joined at Alderley Edge by Glen Chapple, who is on his way back from a groin injury. Neither have decided if they will bowl.

The news will come as a huge boost to his county and national team with a busy few weeks in the offing.

Lancashire have had an inauspicious start to the County Championship and currently lie third bottom of the table.

And if Flintoff can get back to his best, he may be able to play his way back into Peter Moores' thoughts for the visit of the South Africans later in the summer.

Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson said that Flintoff had been working hard to get back into shape.

He said: "You see him on the exercise bike and the treadmill, where he seems to have been a permanent feature.

"He's worked very hard at that and is very committed.

"He's started his batting programme, which goes along-side his bowling, so he can get back in top form as soon as possible."

It's also a welcome return for seamer Chapple, who has been out of action since the middle of May with a groin injury.

Meanwhile, Lancashire Lightning will go into their Twenty20 Cup North Division clash with Durham unchanged.

Stuart Law's side have an unbeaten record in this year's competition after back-to-back wins over Leicestershire and a victory over Derbyshire.

In a week where Lancashire play their traditional arch-rivals Yorkshire twice, it could be the club's modern day rivals Durham that pose the toughest challenge.

This year, Durham have recruited some of the biggest names in world cricket in their quest for glory, including former South African captain Shaun Pollock and current South African player Albie Morkel.

Lancashire Lightning 13-man squad v Durham Dynamos: Paul Horton, Lou Vincent, Mal Loye, Stuart Law (cpt), Francois Du Plessis, Steven Croft, Gareth Cross (wkt), Kyle Hogg, Dominic Cork, Sajid Mahmood, Tom Smith, Simon Marshall, Gary Keedy.