Casey Stoner ready for wrist assessment

Former world champion Casey Stoner will learn whether is on course for an early February comeback when he undergoes medical checks on his left wrist in Italy next week.

The Australian is due to fly back into Europe for Ducati’s 2009 MotoGP team launch at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort next week.

But before kicking off his media duties, of far more pressing concern for the 2007 world champion will be to discover how his left wrist is recovering after pre-Christmas surgery.

Stoner underwent a bone graft operation on an old 2003 wrist in November, which had flared up during the latter stages of the ’08 premier class world championship.

He will visit surgeons next Monday (January 12) as he hopes to be fit for the resumption of winter testing in Sepang, Malaysia on February 5.

Ducati team boss Livio Suppo told MCN: “The last test we did before the Jerez test in late November was with an X-ray and that said everything was going in the right way.

“He has been using a machine to do some exercises to keep the wrist moving without him needing to put any effort in.

“Everyday he will get some more movement back and then he has been doing a lot of physio to get the movement he needs back on the bike, not only up and down but also left and right.”