England spin bowler Graeme Swann is confident he will be fully fit to face Australia in The Ashes series after an elbow injury forced him to quit the tour of New Zealand.
Proven matchwinner Swann, 33, will undergo surgery on his right elbow, his bowling arm, in Minnesota in a bid to be ready for the home series against Australia in July-August.
A four-year battle with the injury came to a head during last week’s match against a New Zealand XI in Queenstown.
Rather than risk further aggravation, he will leave for the US next week to see specialist Dr Shawn O’Driscoll, who recently operated on the elbow of England seamer Tim Bresnan.
O’Driscoll, who also operated on Swann in 2009 for the same thing, will “clean out” some loose bone fragments in the elbow joint.
Swann learned of scan results on Wednesday and said the need for urgent surgery was “disappointing” as he had been targeting the three-Test New Zealand series.
However, he was confident it would extend his career.
“It’s a huge year for English cricket and a huge year for me so if this means taking a more active part in it then it’s something I have to do.
“I know if I don’t have the surgery it’s more or less curtains.”
The Ashes are in Swann’s sights. He is targeting a return for two months earlier, when New Zealand play two Tests in England in May.
“I’ve still not played a Test against the Kiwis. I’m going to be very optimistic and say I will play against them at home.
“It (the injury) doesn’t seem anywhere near as dire as last time around when it was like a bomb had gone off in there.”
Swann, who has taken 212 wickets in 50 Tests, will be replaced in New Zealand by another offspinner, James Tredwell.