Monster Energy Yamaha’s Steven Frossard has been forced out of the remaining rounds of the 2012 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Frossard will have a second operation on the right knee he injured at the Grand Prix of Bulgaria in April, replacing the ACL ligament and fix a troublesome meniscus.

Frossard caught his foot on the ground during the qualification heat at Sevlievo for the second round of sixteen in the campaign.

He immediately had surgery to remove a broken anterior cruciate ligament and attempted the following events in Italy, Mexico and Brazil in difficult circumstances.

The 24-year-old led the world at St Jean D’Angely’s French GP on Sunday and would finish with a very decent seventh position overall, but Frossard again felt some pain in the joint and was also hesitant of taking too much of a risk in the right hand turns.

After a scan on Monday with a specialist in Lyon, Frossard was told of a slightly aggravated meniscus problem that was causing his discomfort.

Frossard will operated on by Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet at the Jean Mermoz hospital in the rider’s town of Lyon. The surgery will involve replacement of the ligament with other material from the racer’s lower leg and carefully placed screws.

Frossard is expected to enter a recovery and rehabilitation phase of four months before he can begin training again and five to six months for a full recovery and resumption of motocross.

Australian Motocross Championship leader Josh Coppins has previously been linked to a replacement role with the factory Yamaha team.