Edgbaston, Aug 8 (IANS) England are likely to retain Tim Bresnan ahead of Chris Tremlett for the third Test starting here Wednesday.

The only change in the side that crushed India in the second Test match at Trent Bridge would be batsman Ravi Bopara in place of the injured Jonathan Trott.

Even if Tremlett declares himself fit, it would be tough for him to convince the selectors after Bresnan followed up his second-innings 90 at Trent Bridge with 5-48.

Tremlett admitted that it is tough for him to get a place in the team after Bresnan's fine performance.

"You have to be realistic. It was a pretty special performance from Bres, and although I've not done much wrong when I've played there are only three fast bowling slots. It's hard to drop someone who's put in a performance like that," he said.

"Every day my recovery has been a bit better. It's niggling a bit. I bowled a couple of times in the week, not at full pace, and it has reacted at times and been a bit sore," Tremlett was quoted as saying by The Mirror.

"The next two days will give me the chance to see how I go in training and I'll be monitored to see if I'm fit enough to go into the game. I was desperate to play the last game, but I was pretty honest with where I was. I had a fitness test and I knew realistically I wouldn't have got through the game. The last thing I wanted to do was let my team-mates down by not being 100 per cent fit and playing," he said.

"It's the same for this week. Hopefully my back will improve, but I have to make a fair call on whether I'm fit enough to get through a game. I guess we'll find out over the next few days of training.

"It's just a spasm and a bit disc-orientated, but I've been told it is nothing too serious. I've done a fair bit of bowling over the last couple of years without a huge amount of breaks so my back has taken a bit of a hammering and maybe it has caught up with me."