Dani Pedrosa will return to MotoGP action at the Valencia finale this weekend after a three-week layoff due to the collarbone he broke at Motegi and it means that Nicky Hayden will not get another MotoGP shot this year.

Pedrosa underwent surgery just days after the crash and has been through an intense period of rehabilition but only decided to race very recently.

“These past three weeks haven’t been easy because of the pain, especially immediately after the operation, and also because I missed racing at some of my favourite tracks. Anyway, after I started with my rehab, things began getting better day-by-day, and the thought of trying to recover in time for Valencia was a boost that helped during the tougher moments,” said the Spaniard.

“We’re still not sure about how I’ll feel on the bike, but anyway I’m happy to be able to get back to racing! I love the Valencia track, I have fantastic memories here and I like the idea of getting back to action in front of my fans.”