England spinner Graeme Swann has expressed his fear that he could miss out on facing Australia in the Ashes later this year.

Swann, who will play in the opening Test of England's three-match series against New Zealand in Dunedin on Wednesday, has been suffering with a troublesome elbow injury over the last few months.

The Nottinghamshire player has said that he does not want to miss out on what could prove to be his final two Ashes series.

"We are embarking on arguably England's greatest year of Test cricket ever and I can't wait for the back-to-back Ashes series," Swann wrote in his column in The Sun. "But I have one big worry - the state of my right elbow.

"I'll be honest, the elbow is always a concern. It's been hanging over me for several years and, despite having an operation in 2009, the problem hasn't entirely gone away.

"It would be a massive pain in the backside if my wonky elbow forced me to miss any of the Tests against Australia. I'm absolutely determined to be available for what might be my final two Ashes series - and that means managing the elbow as well as possible."

Swann has claimed 212 wickets in 50 Tests for England.