Yorkshire duo are causing Flower a welcome headache

Pietersen has not played since March, when England faced New Zealand in Wellington.

Since then, a troublesome knee injury has seen him ruled out of the return series against the Black Caps, the Indian Premier League and the forthcoming Champions Trophy.

The goal has always been for Pietersen to be fully fit in time for the flagship Ashes series, which begins at Trent Bridge on July 10.

Flower will meet the batsman in the next couple of days and said: “We are thinking optimistically about Kevin’s injury improving and it’s nice that he’s pain free; that is great news for him and for us.

“Kevin’s a really special player and we want him back as soon as he’s fit enough to be back.”

Captain Alastair Cook has admitted that Pietersen would be an automatic pick as soon as he became available, but his absence has allowed the likes of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to flourish.

The Yorkshire pair enjoyed impressive outings on their home ground in England’s 247-run win Headingley this week, with Root hitting a maiden Test century and Bairstow adding fluent knocks of 64 and 26 not out.

Flower was hugely impressed by both men’s contributions.

“Joe has played outstandingly well in all three forms of the game since he’s been given the chance to play international cricket and he’s handled it really well which is testament to his character and his skill,” he said.

“It was also really nice to see how the Yorkshire public responded to his success; they really shared his excitement and his pride and his passion, that was evident to see when he did manage to get to 100.

“It was nice to see Jonny celebrate Joe’s success as he did and be genuinely pleased for him and it was also nice to see Jonny do well in this Test match in both innings, too.”

There has been some debate as to how England will restructure as and when Pietersen does return, with two realistic options.

One is to make a straight swap of Pietersen for Bairstow, with the other involving moving Root up to open and instead dispensing with the out of form Nick Compton.

Root has played as an opener for Yorkshire but has played so impressively in the middle order that it would potentially be a gamble to change his brief during the pressurised environment of the Ashes.

England have plenty of time to make that decision, which could hinge on Compton’s ability to find his form in county cricket.

Flower, typically, gave little away when asked to ponder Root’s role. “None of us can foretell the future. It’s been a great series for Joe and it was nice that he got the man of the series too, but we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, none of us do.”