Johannesburg: South Africa paceman Friedel de Wet will miss the fourth and final Test against England after suffering a recurrence of a back problem in the third Test in Cape Town last week.

"Friedel won't be training with us this week and, sadly, it's the long-term problem with his back again," coach Mickey Arthur said on Monday.

"I really feel for him, it happened in the fifth over of the first innings in Cape Town, but he came in and gave it his all with injections and a serious back injury for another 20-odd overs. It speaks volumes for him."

De Wet's absence means left-armer Wayne Parnell, who has played nine one-day internationals but is yet to make his Test debut, is likely to be brought into the side for the series finale starting at the Wanderers in Johnnesburg on Thursday.

England lead the series 1-0. "Wayne is a huge talent, he bowls with pace, is a decent batsman and a good fielder," Arthur said.

"He has a real chance of playing because of his pace, we said we wanted three strike bowlers and Wayne could be one of them. Although he's very young in terms of first-class cricket, he will mature and I'm very happy to have him on board."

Arthur has not ruled out fielding an all-pace attack for the final Test although he still favours playing a spinner.

"If you're looking for a result like we are, then a grassy pitch is a gamble you possibly have to take. But it won't be a major green mamba and I don't like going into a Test without a spinner," he said.

"I think it's vital, but if conditions are very different then we could look at it, it's possible that we could go in with an all-pace attack."

England spinner Graeme Swann has taken 19 wickets in the series and Arthur said South Africa had struggled against him.

"He's bowled fantastically well. From the second test on, we wanted to play him with more freedom, but he has bowled so well he hasn't allowed us to be more aggressive."