2012 MotoGP Injury

Nicky Hayden clearly struggled at the first official test in the 2012 MotoGP Championship last week at Sepang, Malaysia.

The Ducati Team rider was ready for the three-day test with teammate Valentino Rossi, but due to lack of strength and pain in his left shoulder, the American only completed a few laps each day.

The pain arrived from a shoulder injury Hayden suffered during a crash while training on a dirt track near his home in Owensboro, Kentucky, in December. When the Sepang I test wrapped up, Hayden finished 10th with a 2:01.729, which was 2.122 seconds behind Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner.

Due to the lack of strength in his shoulder, Hayden traveled to Fremont, Calif., following the test. He was examed by Dr. Arthur Ting, and test revealed that Hayden damaged cartilage in the shoulder, as well as muscles in the back.

Ducati reports that the GP12 rider will now undergo surgery Monday in California.

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team GP12 MotoGP) says: "Of course another operation before the season is never a good thing, but I'm actually happy that I tried to ride at Malaysia, because it helped me to discover that the problem with the shoulder was bigger than we thought.

"After seeing the scans, it was clear why I couldn't ride well. Setbacks are a part of life and a part of MotoGP, so we'll deal with it and do everything possible to get back on the bike in good condition as soon as possible. Ducati and the team are putting maximum effort into this championship, and that helps me to keep my spirits high and to be confident heading into the season."

Hayden's next outing on the Ducati GP12 will be during the Sepang II MotoGP tests that run Feb. 28 through March 1.