Ashley Giles has been passed fit to take part in England's forthcoming Ashes tour of Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday.
The left-arm spinner joined England's one-day squad in India for the ICC Champions Trophy in order to continue his rehabilitation from hip surgery, and returned to the UK on Sunday.
Giles, 33, said: "It's been a long, hard road back for me and I am grateful to the staff at the National Cricket Centre who helped with my rehabilitation and to the England team management for giving me the opportunity to go to India and work with the one-day squad.
"It was always my goal to be fit in time for the Ashes tour and now that the moment has arrived I am really looking forward to being part of the Test squad again," added the Warwickshire slow bowler who, in 52 Tests, has taken 140 wickets at 39.60.
Giles, who mounted a fierce defence of England coach Duncan Fletcher last week after former England opening batsman Geoff Boycott depart because of England's failed Champions Trophy challenge, featured in all five Tests of the last Ashes campaign, in England in 2005, where the hosts defeated Australia in a Test series for the first time in 19 years. However he has not played Test cricket for nearly 12 months, his last appearances coming against Pakistan in Faisalabad in November 2005.
England team physiotherapist Kirk Russell said: "Ashley has been through a tough time but he worked extremely hard in India and the medical team is very pleased with the progress he has made. "He bowled for extended periods in the nets, completed all the drills we set him without any reaction and is now fully fit and able to take his place in the Ashes squad."
England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: "It's excellent news that Ashley has come through the final stage of his rehabilitation programme and is available again for selection. "He played an important role in helping England regain the Ashes in 2005 and I am sure that he will be keen to make an impact in Australia this (northern hemisphere) winter."
Renowned as a fine team man, capable of useful lower order scores and a good gully fielder, Giles's prolonged absence has cleared the way for left-arm spinner Monty Panesar - regarded as the more attacking bowler - to begin his Test career.
Both bowlers have been included in England's 16-man Ashes squad.
England are due to depart for Australia on Friday, with the first Ashes Test starting at Brisbane's Gabba ground on November 23.