A hip injury to Andrew Flintoff means England are forced to change the side that drew in Antigua last week and skipper Andrew Strauss hinted strongly yesterday that Bopara would get the slot at number six in the batting line-up.

The only other alternative would be a recall for batsman Ian Bell, dropped for the Antigua test, and Strauss poured cold water on that notion.

“I think the reality is that the reasons we dropped Ian Bell haven’t particularly changed,” said Strauss. “We feel that he needs to work on a few things and he needs to freshen up mentally.

“If he comes into the game then he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do that, or at least it would only have been a very short window to do that,” he said.

Bopara was flown in from New Zealand, where he was part of an England Lions tour, at the weekend and could now have a chance to improve on his shaky first three tests, in Sri Lanka in December 2007, where he made just 42 runs in five innings.

Although not a frontline bowler, Bopara can bowl medium-pacer and would offer some relief to an attack that will feature spinner Graeme Swann who has been passed fit despite an elbow worry.

With wicketkeeper Matt Prior having returned to England after his wife gave birth, Tim Ambrose will be behind the stumps for the tourists, who need to win to level the series ahead of the final test in Trinidad.

West Indies have not won a Test series against England since 1998 and after winning the opening test in Jamaica and hanging on spiritedly in Antigua, skipper Chris Gayle is aware of the chance to finally restore some pride.

“It would be a turning point but it’s a long corner to turn and we still have two more games to go,” he said.

“Winning this series would be tremendous for us, for the whole Caribbean. Playing against England is always a big fight and the challenge is always there. There’s no doubt at all; we can pull it off,” he said.

Gayle stressed continuity when asked about selection and the only change that could be mulled would be bringing in batsman Lendl Simmons for Ryan Hinds — but an unchanged side from Antigua is the most likely.