KEY POINTS:
Duncan Fletcher could be forgiven for casting an envious glance in the direction of the Australian selectors as he prepares for next week's first Ashes test at Brisbane.
Just over a year after his side struck a momentous blow for world cricket and recaptured the urn for the first time since 1985, Fletcher now faces a clutch of key selection problems in the lead-up to the much-awaited rematch.
It was bad enough when he lost established skipper Michael Vaughan and front-line paceman Simon Jones in the interim, but the England coach has also been confronted by the injury status of Ashley Giles, and this week's shock withdrawal of opening batsman Marcus Trescothick.
A former England skipper, Trescothick flew home on Tuesday after suffering a breakdown in the SCG changing rooms during the second day of the tourists' match against New South Wales.
His place in the touring squad has been taken, somewhat surprisingly, by Middlesex left-hander Ed Joyce, who was preferred ahead of former Ashes campaigner Robert Key, and county teammate Owais Shah.
The reasoning is apparently that Alastair Cook will take over Trescothick's opening duties for the test, in which case Joyce - who can bat anywhere - will provide cover for the remainder of the order.
But whatever happens there, the withdrawal of Trescothick at such a critical time can only mean bad news for the tourists, and certainly won't help to dispel the theory that England are mentally vulnerable.
In fact, add the reports of young spinner Monty Panesar receiving psychological assistance before the series in a bid to prepare for Australia's intimidatory tactics, and you wouldn't call it the ideal run-in.
Then again, Fletcher might be ready to overlook Panesar's strong record over the past 12 months in order to usher back fellow spinner Giles, one of the unsung heroes of England's triumph last year.
Giles, returning after missing the entire 2006 season with a hip problem, is probably the equal of Panesar as a bowler, but is a much better batsman and fieldsman and is respected for his mental toughness and fighting spirit.
But the problem for Fletcher is Giles' lack of match-play and the risk associated with selecting him ahead of Panesar - who's already taken 32 wickets in 10 tests this season.
Other selection decisions appear to have been telegraphed, though could still cause Fletcher plenty of anxiety.
Wicket-keeper Geraint Jones, dropped after last year's Ashes, will apparently win his place back from Chris Read, and paceman James Anderson has the inside running on Sajid Mahmood.
On the other hand, the Aussie selectors must be feeling reasonably calm after watching their combination win 11 of the past 12 tests and retain their position as the No 1 ranked side in the world.
The only two genuine questions for the Australians involve who the selectors will employ in the pivotal No 6 position and who they'll choose as their fourth frontline bowler.
If their preference is to bat Michael Clarke at No 6, then it would be no surprise to see them push for a line-and-length merchant such as Stuart Clark; if they opt for all-rounder Shane Watson, they might be tempted to be more adventurous.
That could manifest itself in the shape of a second leg-spinner in Stuart MacGill, or more variety in the seam department, such as left-armers Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson, or raw speed merchant Shaun Tait.
Whatever the decision, it would be a massive shock if the selectors deviated from what seem to be nine automatic picks, comprising Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath.
Former skipper Steve Waugh has already put his weight behind the idea of including MacGill, claiming the English batsmen were weak against wrist spin, as demonstrated by the success of Pakistan leggie Mushtaq Ahmed in county cricket.
However, if the recent weather patterns in southeast Queensland continue, it would be no surprise to see both teams head into battle stacked with pace bowling options.
Groundsman Kevin Mitchell has already had his test match preparations interrupted by one of Brisbane's notorious November downpours and he's warned that more bad weather might tip things in the seamers' favour.
If those fears are realised, expect Watson to play ahead of Clarke, and for one of the left-armers - either Bracken or Johnson - to be included.
