Moto Rapido Ducati’s John Hopkins is in good spirits following knee surgery at Kings Hospital in London, according to team boss Steve Moore.

The American former MotoGP star is recovering from his big crash at the Brands Hatch MCE British Superbike finale last weekend and is now making plans to return to California to continue his rehabilitation.

Hopkins crashed at Paddock Hill during qualifying and was hospitalised with two broken knees and a fractured vertabrae. He has already had his right knee plated and will have a operation on the left in the coming days. Doctors are said to be satisfied there is no big problem with his back injury.

“John is in good spirits considering. He said he was lucky he didn’t go into the air fence feet first as he thinks his ankles wouldn’t have taken another battering like they got in is Assen crash. On Monday, he was analysing the lap and seemed quite upset as he was pretty sure he had a 1’24s lap in him,” Moore told bikesportnews.com.

“He said he just went in a little too hot but decided to try and turn, then the front let go. The first thing he wanted to do when we went to see him was to do a Saturday debrief as we hadn’t had a chance to do one!”

Moore added that Hopkins will have an MRI on his back as soon as the external fixator is off his left leg. He will remain in London for a couple of weeks to ensure there is no infections before going home for some San Diego sunshine.