Ongoing complications with the scaphoid bone in his left wrist will force CDR Yamaha’s latest recruit Dylan Long to sit out the upcoming three rounds of the 2017 Motul MX Nationals.

After finishing fifth in last year’s MX1 standings, 22-year-old Long was signed by the CDR Yamaha organisation to join national champion Dean Ferris, but was injured early in the pre-season.

Long soldiered on through the Wonthaggi and Appin rounds and is currently 11th in the standings, however he will now take time out until Nowra’s sixth round of the season in July in order to let his wrist recuperate.

“After the Appin round I went to see my doctor regarding my wrist and while structurally it is fine and the scaphoid has healed well, the ligament damage around the area still needs time to recover and with the week to week riding, training and racing we are in at the moment, any recovery has been slowed and halted by the continual use,” Long explained.

“If I continued to ride, I would only continue to damage the ligament and tissue around the bone and therefore prolong the injury. I’m gutted that I’m in this situation but myself and the CDR Yamaha team both agree I need to take the time off, let me wrist heal properly before returning to racing.”

CDR Yamaha team owner Craig Dack said it was the correct decision for Long: “Dylan is extremely disappointed by this, but it is the right step to take and we need to ensure his wrist is right before his return. He is in his early 20’s and the risk of long term damage to his wrist isn’t worth him racing right now.

“Our advice from his doctors is to give him four weeks off the bike and therefore a likely return would be at Nowra for the second half of the championship where we can then see his true potential and have him up the front and racing at his best.”

CDR Yamaha’s Dack confirmed when contacted by MotoOnline.com.au this afternoon that they will not be replacing Long during the next three rounds, instead maintaining their focus on Ferris’ campaign for back-to-back crowns.