Cal Crutchlow is reluctant to undergo a further operation on his painful right🌠 ankle, since itꦐ would mean a winter of rehab for the second year in succession.

The E🉐nglishman required major surgery after shattering his ankle at Phillip Island last season.

Sidelined for three months, the LCR Honda rider returned for February's Sepang test and has gone on to claim three podiums this season, but continues to be dogged by nerve problems due to the metalworkꦿ needed to knit his ankle together.

Crutchlow met with the surgeon he credits with saving his ca🌃reer during this year's Australian round, where he discussed the ongoing issues with his foot.

"ꩵMy surgeon came to the grand prix. I also saw him during the week in Melbourne," Crutchl🐠ow said.

"I have a problem with the nerve in my ankle. Like after riding just now [at Sepang], I can't feel two toes, my big toe and the next toe. And the pain if I touch that nerve is incredib🌞le.

"But I don’t want a winter of𓂃 rehab again. We test in Valencia and then we test in Jerez.That♌ means I've got to have it done in December. It's three weeks recovery from having any operation and then three weeks of rehab, to start with.

"So six weeks and that's when I'm testing [aꦫt Sepang in February]. So can I just deal with the pain? It seems worse now when I'm riding because the boot's rubbing.

"As I told you, at the start of the year it was a disaster. Middle of th🐼e year it was fine and August time it was a disaster again. Then it went good again for a month and now it's starting to get bad again.

"But it's not an easy oper🌃ation, because of how much metal is in there, I need a plastic surgeon to look through the microscope and move my nerve, beca♌use you can't damage the nerve.

"The doctors think it's easy! It's probably like us doing a few laps 📖around here, ten seconds off the pace I suppose!" he joked. "So I don’t think there is a big risk to do it, but I don’t want that time delay.

"I want to come back here next year [for the first 2020 test] as strong as possible. Whether having the metalwork out will be a problem, or whether not having it out will be a problem, I don’t know. But I'm more ⛄swayed towards not having it out at the moment."

Is there an alternative to help withꦍ the pain, other than surgery?

"Take drugs!" he laughed.

Crutchlow's injury absence from last November's Valencia and Jerez tests meant Crutchlow couldn't provide feedback on the 2019 Honda until Sepang𝔍, just a month before the start of the new season.

The only Honda rider other than Marc Mar⛄quez🍸 to stand on the podium this season, Crutchlow heads to the Valencia season finale holding ninth in the world championship.