Old injury sends Stoner home.

After completing just 13 laps yesterday, Casey Stoner has been forced to abandon the rest of the Sepang test after an old injury returned to haunt him.

Stoner has a problem with a tendon in his shoulder, caused by an old dirk track injury, which reared its head during a physical training session last week. The LCR Honda rider will take no further part in testing at Sepang and instead return to Australia for specialist treatment.

"I suffered this injury nearly six years ago during a dirt track training," conformed Casey. "In that period the doctor decided to avoid any operation because he thought it was not necessary and for the following 5 years I really never had problems.

"Last November I started a new intensive training to increase my muscles - preparing my body for the new effort required by this type of bike - and I have probably inflamed the old tendonitis.

"Tomorrow (Thursday) morning I will fly back home to see a sports specialist involved in the National Football League and we will value the solution together. I will do my best to be at 100% soon because I think that a simple tendonitis is not a insuperable problem."

Stoner's rivals will continue testing at Sepang tomorrow for the third and final day of pre-season track action in Malaysia.