EDINBURGH have suffered a second major injury blow in five days after losing Kye Thomson for the rest of the season.
The Australian shattered a bone in his hand and broke his scaphoid in a spectacular crash racing in Sweden.
His injury came three days after Justin Sedgmen suffered almost identical injuries after a back straight crash during Friday’s BSN Series semi-final against Scunthorpe at Armadale, his first meeting back after a broken collarbone.
A bitterly disappointed Thomson, 25, said: “I’ve shattered one of the bones in my hand and broken my scaphoid, which takes 10 to 12 weeks to heal. I’ve got to take the X-Rays to hospital here to see if I need an operation on the other bone.
“I was coming up the inside and the other rider just kept turning and leaning on me until our bikes tangled. I got thrown over.
“The other guy crashed but was uninjured. I couldn’t have tried any harder to avoid him but he just kept turning. I'm gutted.”
The Monarchs are now left hunting for guests to cover their remaining three meetings – at home to Poole and Glasgow in the Championship and the second leg of the BSN semi-final.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.