Michael Vaughan warns England players that Ashes preparation in Australia could 'drain' them

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has warned his side not to overexert themselves while preparing for Australia in the 2017/18 Ashes series.

The Three Lions will travel to Australia next week as they begin their three-week preparation for the Ashes which commences on 23 November.

Before the series, the visitors will play three warm-up games. They will first take on a Western Australia XI in a two-day match on 4 November in Perth.

Then, they will face a Cricket Australia (CA) XI in Adelaide from 8 November in a day-night match lasting four days, before facing another CA XI side in a four-day match in Townsville on 15 November.

Vaughan believes it is crucial that the England players, who are likely to be without Ben Stokes in their preparation, find a balance in the warm-up games ahead of the Ashes.

"That period of the three warm-up games, in a players' mind, feel like Test matches because of the exposure," Vaughan told ESPNCricInfo. "Every little moment gets built up, one spell of bowling or one score and you are pushed into contention for the team.

"Yes, the first Test is massive but it's the preparation that can drain a player. I've always said that to be a successful player across an Ashes series, you have to have an egg-timer, this ability to keep turning it over.

"If you allow the sand to drop all the way through with your emotions, not taking your mind away from the series, by the first or second Test, you'll be drained.

"You have to be able to switch on and off because it's thrown in your face everywhere you go, but those players who can take a little step back – get into something different – will probably stand the test of time over a five-match series."

The first match of the Ashes will take place in Brisbane on 23 November and will go on until 8 January, with the fifth and final match expected to be played in Sydney.