Image: Foremost Media.

Popular Victorian privateer Geran Stapleton has been ruled out of this weekend’s opening round of the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross East Coast 250SX series at Minneapolis.

The 24-year-old had planned to contest the entire season in the regional championship, however a fractured left shoulder while training at Club MX in South Carolina has dashed his hopes of lining up.

“Unfortunately I crashed on Monday,” Stapleton confirmed when contacted by MotoOnline.com.au. “I was already on the east coast at Club MX and have broken my left shoulder. I had an MRI today to see if there’s muscle damage and will find out more in the morning.”

The extent of Stapleton’s injury will determine whether he can continue in the series – best case scenario being that he returns in six weeks. Regardless, after racing with a freshly-broken opposite shoulder during last year’s AUS-X Open, he will give the injury adequate time to heal.

“Best case is that I’ve just got a fractured shoulder, which scans have already shown,” he explained. “Worst case is that MRI shows muscle damage and I’m not not sure in that case. Hopefully it’s fine and I’ll be out for just six weeks. I’ll let it heal because I raced Sydney and Rhythm X last year with a fractured right shoulder and it wasn’t much fun!”

The news comes after Stapleton contested multiple – Glendale and Anaheim 2 – rounds of supercross on the west coast, aboard his TS Roofing/FXR-supported CRF250R in the 450SX division. However his recent run of injuries saw him concussed and suffer torn ligaments in his foot during a crash in the Arizona round’s LCQ.

Stapleton intends to remain in North America as previously planned at this point, due to travel north to contest the Canadian Motocross Nationals, which commences at Kamloops on 5 June. Following that he will return home to Australia for the domestic supercross series.