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MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden was glad to return from his injury lay off this week and begin preparations for the defence of his crown.

Hayden fractured his shoulder in a collision with teammate Dani Pedrosa during the penultimate race of last season and having ridden through the pain barrier in order to take the title, he required an operation that kept him out of action for nearly two months.

The American was therefore glad to get back on his bike for the first time since the end of November as he took part in preliminary testing in Malaysia, but despite setting the fastest lap time early on, he was not being entirely satisfied with his performance.

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He stated afterwards: "This morning felt pretty good, but this afternoon we didn't quite go forwards as much as I'd have liked to.

"We've got some work to do to be ready for the new season. I went at about the same pace as I did here in November - I did that lap quite early in the day and then didn't go faster, which was slightly frustrating."

As for his shoulder, the 25-year-old said that the pain had gone but it still felt a little weak and had caused him to tire easily, limiting the number of laps he could perform.

The new season is weeks away and Hayden knows retaining his title will not be easy, with Pedrosa having been tipped by many to improve on last year's top five finish, while Valentino Rossi will be eager for revenge after losing out to Hayden last time around.

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