Elias opts for 'painful' early return.

While all attention was on Valentino Rossi's Thursday practice fall at Assen on June 22, Fortuna Honda's Toni Elias was also injured in the same session.

And, while reigning world champion Rossi was able to ride on, Elias was forced to miss both the remainder of the Assen weekend and then sit out the following Donington Park event as he recovered from a fractured left shoulder.

Despite the weekend off, Elias is still suffering from his injury - but will try and ride alongside Marco Melandri at this weekend's German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring.

"I'm happy to come back after a forced three-week break at home. It's been a tough period because the shoulder has been really painful. It hurts every time I move my arm and I can't even rest properly because it is even painful when I lay down," said Toni. "I've tried to recover as quickly as possible by having two sessions with the physiotherapist each day.

"I want to race even though I am aware it will be very difficult and painful. I don't know how the shoulder will react to the demands of the bike at a circuit like Sachsenring, which has a lot of left corners - the injured side. I feel motivated - crashes and the recovery period always make you stronger and that is the way I feel," he declared.

First free practice for the German Grand Prix takes place on Friday morning.