PERTH, Oct 23 AAP - England's gamble on injured players appears to be backfiring already with paceman Alex Tudor under consideration for a call-up to the Ashes tour squad.

Less than a week - and just one limited overs match - into the tour, coach Duncan Fletcher admitted today the 25-year-old Surrey quick could be summoned by Monday.

Seeking its first Ashes series win in 16 years, England's pace bowling shortcomings were badly exposed as it conceded 301 runs to the Chairman's XI in 50 overs in the embarrassing 58-run loss at Lilac Hill yesterday.

Tudor, who has taken 26 wickets in nine Tests at 31.5 since his debut at the WACA ground four years ago, is training at the national cricket academy in Adelaide.

The tourists had planned for him to be in Australia in case members of its injury-plagued fast bowling brigade were unable to regain fitness.

"We had contingency plans that we have got a player in South Australia who we might be looking at," Fletcher said.

"We'll make that decision over the next four or five days."

The Lilac Hill defeat heightened the tourists' grave concerns over the fitness of spearhead Darren Gough (knee) and allrounder Andrew Flintoff (hernia) who sat out the match.

Such is the concern over Flintoff that he will fly to Adelaide tomorrow because busy team physiotherapist Kirk Russell can't provide the necessary one-on-one treatment for him.

Fletcher said Flintoff was still in the running to be ready for the first Ashes Test at the Gabba on November 7 but he wasn't positive about Gough's prospects.

Fletcher hoped Flintoff, who is returning from a hernia operation, could recover as well as captain Nasser Hussain did from a similar problem during the 1998-99 Ashes tour.

Quicks Andrew Caddick and Matthew Hoggard currently appear the most likely opening combination for England in the first Test at the Gabba starting on November 7.

Youngster Simon Jones (side strain) looks underdone while Stephen Harmison's confidence would have been sapped after delivering 16 wides in Tuesday's loss.

Fletcher expected England's form batsman Michael Vaughan, who had a minor knee operation last month, to play in the three-day match against Western Australia starting Monday despite having an injection yesterday.

Fletcher testily brushed off a question on whether England should have brought so many injured players.

"Should we have left them at home then?" he said.

Meanwhile West Australian captain Michael Hussey said his side would look to ensure the tourists continued to suffer a difficult lead-up to the five-Test Ashes series.

"If we play as well as we can, I think we will keep the pressure on England and we won't give them an easy build-up into the first Test," he said.

"We won't be doing them any favours put it that way."

England's two-day tour match against Western Australia starts tomorrow at the WACA ground.

Australian players Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn were expected to sit out next week's three-day tour match while Justin Langer and Brad Williams should be available.

The WA team is: Western Australia: Mike Hussey (c), Beau Casson, Michael Clark, Murray Goodwin, Kade Harvey, Shaun Marsh, Scott Meuleman, Marcus North, Chris Rogers, Luke Ronchi, Callum Thorp, Paul Wilson.

© 2002 Australian Cricket Board

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.