Andrew Flintoff expected to join England coaching staff ahead of third Test against Sri Lanka

With Trescothick taking the white-ball reins on an interim basis, the former England opener is likely to take a short break from the Test set-up ahead of T20 and ODI series against Australia next month.

That paves the way for his Ashes 2005 team-mate Flintoff, who has gravitated back towards professional cricket in the past year after suffering serious injuries in a car crash while filming for Top Gear.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) declined to comment but it is understood Flintoff is on the verge of agreeing to his latest coaching stint with the national side and his first with the Test outfit.

It is anticipated Flintoff will join Brendon McCullum's staff from Wednesday, the first of two practice days, but the union is unlikely to extend to this winter tours against Pakistan and New Zealand.

Flintoff has been involved with England's limited-overs sides for much of the past year, having previously performed mentoring roles with the second-string Lions and Under-19s.

He most recently worked under Matthew Mott in the Caribbean in June on an ad-hoc consultancy basis for England's T20 World Cup but he is not expected to be in Trescothick's backroom staff against Australia.

Following Mott's sacking after England's surrender of both limited-overs global crowns, Flintoff was mooted as a potential successor but it was reported he lacked chemistry with captain Jos Buttler.

Flintoff took up his first head coach post with Northern Superchargers in The Hundred this year and led them to five wins in eight games, narrowly missing out on the knockout stages on net run-rate.

The second series of Flintoff's television show Field of Dreams is currently airing on the BBC, while his 16-year-old son Rocky is having a breakout home summer with Lancashire and England Under-19s.