BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | England seek to wrap up series

Third Test, Old Trafford: England v Sri Lanka, starts Thursday, 1100BST

England were given a major boost when Mark Butcher was passed fit on the eve of the final Test against Sri Lanka.

Butcher, England's most consistent performer with the bat over the last 12 months, occupies the critical number three spot.

Read Jonathan Agnew's column

After a strenuous session on Tuesday, he also had to pass a further fitness test on Wednesday before being deemed ready for combat.

With a tenuous 1-0 series lead, coach Duncan Fletcher and captain Nasser Hussain were leaving nothing to chance whatsoever.

Their caution partly stems from the fact that twice in a shade over 12 months England have squandered a 1-0 lead in the final Test of a series.

Crawley is prepared for the bad news

Butcher jarred his left knee during England's innings victory in the second Test at Edgbaston a fortnight ago.

But he is prepared to delay an operation on the joint - and looks almost certain to keep John Crawley out of the side.

Who will win? Have your say

And if England, as expected, decline to hand a debut to the raw Glamorgan quick Simon Jones, they will field an unchanged XI.

The damp weather has taken some of the pace out of the Old Trafford pitch, and the forecast is typically changeable, with rain more likely on the second day.

On Saturday, a large television screen will show England's crucial World Cup football match against Denmark in a car park within the ground.

Hussain, though, insisted his players would not be distracted by shouts from the car park area while they are playing.

The football won't concern Hussain's players

"When we come off and we have a drink in our hand we can ask who scored the goal, but we're just focussed on playing cricket for England the rest of the time," he said.

Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya said the defeat at Edgbaston was a shock.

And reports have even suggested the explosive opener may drop down the order to allow a more cautious approach from Russel Arnold.

"We let ourselves down in just one innings," Jayasuriya e said.

"We have played enough cricket to realize what our mistakes are and put it right here.

"We've got to forget those and just go out and enjoy ourselves.

"We shouldn't put ourselves under pressure. We lost that game and that's in the past now. We must play our natural game here."

Sri Lanka are expected to make a solitary change in replacing medium paceman Charitha Buddika with fast bowler Dilhara Fernando.

Probable sides

England: Nasser Hussain (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Mark Butcher, Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Matthew Hoggard, Alec Stewart (wicketkeeper), Andrew Caddick, Alex Tudor.

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara (wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva, Russell Arnold, Hashan Tillekeratne, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan.

Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Dave Orchard (South Africa).

Television umpire: Neil Mallender.

Match referee: Gundappa Viswanath (India)