Loris Capirossi will return to action at this weekend's MotoGP round at Motegi.
The 37-year-old Suzuki rider missed the last race at Aragon after injuring a finger in a crash at Misano. He had surgery to reconstruct the bone and re-attach a severed tendon in the little finger of his right hand and was forced to sit out the Aragon weekend to give the injuries time to heal.
Capirossi is eager to get back on the bike at Motegi, where he won for three consecutive years between 2005 and '07.
"My finger is at about 90 percent, but it is only a finger, so I am totally ready for the weekend," said Capirossi. "I am still having physiotherapy every day to get it better and will continue until the race, so by then it should be OK.
"I love Motegi, it is my favorite racetrack of the year and I have good memories from there. It would be amazing to challenge the front guys – especially as it is a big weekend for Suzuki. I know that it is tough out there, but anything is possible and we have got to keep believing in ourselves."
The Motegi weekend falls on the anniversary of Suzuki's 50th year in motorcycle racing and several riders from the marque's history will be present , including Japan's only Isle of Man TT winner Mitsuo Ito.