But that could be as nothing compared to the tsunami of pressure for him to rest raher than play in the IPL coming his way from the public after Ricky Ponting set the country before cash debate rolling on Thursday.
Australia's captain, along with several other leading Aussies, played in last year's IPL. Since then, their own stock, and that of Australia, has declined so rapidly that they lost home Test and one-day series to South Africa. Stung by the defeat, Ponting has decided to take this year's IPL off to concentrate on playing for Australia.
But would England's players destined for IPL consider doing likewise? Not if the response of one player is typical. He said: "Ponting can do what he likes. I'm playing in IPL, end of story."
If that sounds unpatriotic, the reality of playing for England these days is a non-stop slog of matches and tours for which the England and Wales Cricket Board must take much of the blame. After all, the quickest way to grow the game's revenue in recent years has been to enhance TV deals by playing ever-increasing amounts of cricket, a process that has proceeded unchecked for 10 years.
At first players countered by warning of burnout, but with money now to be made by playing yet more cricket, a hard-nosed attitude has taken hold.
Once again the ECB are not without fault, and had they not made such an issue over IPL participation last year, and let us not forget the ill-fated Stanford venture was part of keeping their best cricketers away from India's Twenty20 moguls, then the players would probably have been less bullish now about taking part.
The Board's other option, and one many former England cricketers feel they should have taken, was to have handed players, especially those dithering over signing their central contracts, an ultimatum: "You can play in IPL but while it takes place when it does [April and May], if you do you won't play for England."
Don't forget, most of the best-paid players made their name playing for their countries and any deciding to forego that privilege would soon lose their cachet, and therefore their earning power, within IPL.
With the Ashes imminent, injury is likely to be an emotive matter with regard to IPL, which is why Flintoff, who will discover the extent of any damage to his right hip on Saturday, is keeping his own counsel.
But the thought of him playing extra cricket, and IPL is an add-on, albeit a highly lucrative one, must run contrary to England's best interests for this summer's Ashes and World Twenty20.
What now seems obvious is that any player in need of rest or recovery from injury must be removed from any decisions about going to IPL. However grown-up Andrew Strauss's wish to hand responsibility to the players sounds, when there is big money involved cricketers, like most people, can quickly lose their moral compass.
According to assistant coach, Andy Flower, the decision to withhold players from the IPL will be made by Hugh Morris in conjunction with the new team director, a post that was advertised yesterday on the ECB website and one Flower will probably apply for.
"Fred is injured now but there is still quite a way until the IPL, so we will have to monitor that," Flower said. "I haven't seen the reasons for Ponting's decision but as far as our guys are concerned they are committed to doing the IPL. But if there are any injury problems Hugh Morris and the new director of cricket will have to make a decision closer to the time."
The loss of Flintoff for the Ashes would be a crushing blow, though at one-down with two Tests to play they could do with him here in Barbados for next week's fourth Test especially as off-spinner, Graeme Swann, is now also doubtful with a sore right elbow.
Swann, who took eight wickets in England's last gasp attempt to win the match, felt the problem during the West Indies first innings where he took five for 57.
It was one of the reasons Strauss gave for not making his opponents follow-on. But if it was painful then, a further 39 overs in the West Indies second innings, as England came within a wicket of levelling the series, will have exacerbated it to the point that Monty Panesar might be back sooner than he thought.
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