BRISTOL, England (CMC): England's captain Andrew Strauss says the absence of leading batsman Kevin Pietersen through injury will not hamper his side in the two remaining matches against West Indies, as England seek to build on their recent one-day success in the Caribbean.

Pietersen has been sidelined with an Achilles problem and joins talismanic fast bowling all-rounder Freddie Flintoff who is still recovering from knee surgery.

Strauss said his side was also brimming with confidence following their emphatic win in the preceding two-Test series and would carry this momentum into tomorrow's match at Bristol and the final match on Tuesday at Edgbaston.

"I don't think the fact they're not playing right now is a cause for concern," Strauss said. "The guys who came in and played in the two-Test series played well and that's encouraging rather than something to be concerned about.

"The Twenty20 I'm not involved in, but there are quite a few of the Ashes squad involved in that. If we can get more wins under the belt that will really help us.

"More than anything, we want that feel-good factor to continue and be developed from those two Tests against the West Indies," he added.