Qatar MotoGP: Casey Stoner assured by wrist assessment

Aussie Casey Stoner has laid to rest any lingering pre-season nerves about the lengthy recovery of his left wrist injury ahead of this weekend’s crunch first MotoGP race in Qatar.

Ever since the 23-year-old, winner of 16 of his 36 races for Ducati, underwent a bone graft to repair a damaged scaphoid bone in his left wrist last November, Stoner has voiced concerns about the slow healing process.

Lateral movement in his wrist is still virtually non-existent, but recent checks in Switzerland have helped ease any worries he might have had during the winter.

He revealed he might need further surgery on the wrist during next winter.

Speaking exclusively to MCN he said: “I’ve still got no more movement but now I understand why. I got an X-ray in Switzerland and the bone graft is slightly too big, so its jamming itself in a part where I need it to move.

“It will take time to wear down. It should do it naturally and if it doesn’t do within the next three months then I’ll need another operation at the end of the season to grind the bone away to make sure I get the movement back.”

Stoner said he was relieved that his initial fears of a painful and long recovery have been eradicated and he can focus solely on winning back the world title.

“I spoke to the doctors who did the operation and they said nothing, they just kept saying it is normal. “That’s all I kept being told and they said it would take time. But I wanted to know how much time and why it wasn’t moving and if there was a problem?

“The doctors in Switzerland could tell me five minutes after the X-ray why I didn’t have the movement and they didn’t even do the operation. It gave me peace of mind knowing it is fine and I can get on with things.

“Even if the movement doesn’t come back like I need, I know I can get it done with simple surgery at the end of the year without any problems.”