By Martin Gough BBC Sport at The Oval

Four years ago, England departed Australia with their tails between their legs, badly beaten and vowing never again to take a half-fit side to contest the Ashes.

Skipper Andrew Flintoff undergoes a grilling about his fitness

Yet at The Oval on Tuesday they announced a side containing six players with, as one member of the media put it, asterisks by their names.

Veteran spinner Ashley Giles (groin) and seamer James Anderson (back) have missed the entire summer with injury.

Paceman Steve Harmison is currently recovering from a back problem, which followed an earlier shin injury.

His Durham team-mate Liam Plunkett has not played since July, and only began bowling again in the nets on Monday, because of a side strain

Marcus Trescothick has declared himself unavailable for October's one-day ICC Champions Trophy in India because of a stress-related illness.

He has promised, though, that he will be ready to face Australia in Brisbane on 23 November, which has raised more questions than it has answered.

Perhaps most importantly, though, captain Andrew Flintoff has yet to bowl after undergoing surgery on an ankle problem he has admitted will probably affect him throughout his career.

The confidence expressed in 2002 was repeated by chairman of selectors David Graveney but this time England's management believe they have just cause to be optimistic.

All the players underwent fitness tests on Monday at the National Cricket Centre at Loughborough, a state-of-the-art facility opened three years ago.

"We're confident all the injuries will be resolved," said Graveney of the six.

Medical officer Dr Peter Gregory was appointed in the middle of that last Ashes tour, amid an outcry that Flintoff and Darren Gough were sent home without playing, and the selectors relied on his judgement in picking the squad.

Graveney's breakdown of the injury situation looks like this:

• Anderson and Harmison are expected to play in the last round of County Championship matches, although Anderson may have to be loaned by title-chasing Lancashire to another county.
• Giles is still considered a concern because he has not yet played. Instead he will tour India with the ICC Champions Trophy squad and England hope to simulate match practice for him there.
• England are cautious over Plunkett, who would face a fight with Sajid Mahood for his place in the Test XI even if fit. He looks unlikely to play before arriving in Australia a fortnight before the first Test.
• Trescothick's comings and goings left his former opening partner Michael Atherton to speculate this week that his illness could be provoked specifically by being in India. Graveney admitted England were in unknown territory but will stay in close touch with the veteran opener.

Plunkett's recovery will be supervised closely by the England physios

Flintoff heard of his appointment late on Monday afternoon, popped to London for a charity event that evening and spent Tuesday morning running in the Lancashire hills.

Although he has not bowled yet, even in training, he cut a lean figure at The Oval media conference and appeared confident he will take a full part.

"My ankle's getting stronger every day, I'm feeling fit and I've got a few more weeks to top that up," he said.

"India will give me an opportunity to play and to get in the nets. But I'm not to sort of player who has to play loads and loads of cricket to find my rhythm."

England's second reason to be cheerful is the cover they have available if their first-choice stars do not win their respective fitness races.

Academy director Peter Moores will lead a 14-man squad at a high-performance training camp in Perth for the first five weeks of the Ashes series.

Four of the group have Test experience, and every position is covered, including different types of pace bowler.

Amid all the positive noises, though, concern remains and although Graveney was referring to Flintoff, it applies across the board.

"Andrew is ahead of schedule but the proof of the pudding will be when he starts to bowl."

If this gamble backfires for a second successive Ashes tour, it will be humble pie all round.