JAMES Anderson is bracing himself to be challenged for his England place by Lancashire teammate Andrew Flintoff.

Anderson admits England's attack will be "looking over their shoulders" as they prepare for the expected return of Flintoff to Test cricket.

All-rounder Flintoff was overlooked for the opening npower Test against South Africa at Lord's which gets underway on Thursday.

He will continue his recovery from a recent side strain at county level, to afford him more time to gain fitness for the rigours of international cricket.

But his impressive displays as a bowler for Lancashire this season have suggested it will be sooner rather than later that Flintoff makes his first Test appearance since the final Test against Australia at Sydney in January, 2007.

It has left Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom vulnerable, and Anderson says the competition motivates England's attack to raise their performance level.

"I think we regard it as an extra incentive," he said. "There's not just Fred (Flintoff) knocking on the door, but there's also Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Simon Jones now back bowling well, and players like Sajid (Mahmood) and Liam Plunkett desperate to get back into the side.

"It's not just Fred we're looking over our shoulders at, although he's obviously the biggest of the lot trying to get back.

"We know he's there but he's a completely different bowler to me so I'm just going to have to continue what I'm doing." and if they pick him ahead of me then that's out of my hands."