When MotoGP rookie Mika Kallio crashed on the last lap at Assen last weekend, his Pramac Ducati landed on his ring finger, tearing off the finger nail. It will never re-grow, and in August he will have a skin graft from his hip to cover the end of the finger.

For the next two races in Germany and Great Britain, Kallio will have a temporary skin cover on the finger. It's painful and the risk of infection is still high, which explains his absence from this weekend's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.

Kallio, who was on target to claim a career-best sixth before his accident, is 15th in the MotoGP World Championship standings with 26 points. The affected finger is his left ring finger. He is engaged, soon to be married.

By Lynne Huntting