The England centre Riki Flutey has given the British and Irish Lions a lift as they prepare for Wednesday night's match against the Sharks by announcing that he is fit enough to return to team training tomorrow.

It means the Lions, who have now arrived at their beach-side retreat outside Durban, can select from an squad of 37 fit players as the build-up continues for next week's first Test against the world champions, South Africa.

Flutey, yet to start a game on tour, has been troubled by a knee injury he suffered after going on as a replacement during the Lions' opening fixture against the Royal XV in Rustenburg eight days ago.

But the Lions' team doctor, James Robson, confirmed that the centre will be available when the head coach, Ian McGeechan, considers his side for the Sharks game and he is likely to be named on the bench.

Though the tourists, who are seeking a fourth victory after defeating the Royal XV, the Golden Lions and the Cheetahs, are far from guaranteed to win the Test series, their medical staff are in unbeatable form. Only one player, the Welsh flanker Martyn Williams, is unavailable for Wednesday. And even Williams, who has a bruised shoulder, will be fit for Saturday's game against Western Province in Cape Town, a healthy situation in stark contrast to the serious problems which have undermined the past two Lions tours.

Robson revealed that both Flutey and Keith Earls, who injured a shoulder, might have been forced to fly home in previous years but that improved treatment methods and an enlarged medical staff had enabled both centres to recover more quickly than was first feared.