By John Walsh

Last updated 13:51, Monday, 15 September 2008

Daniel Nermark’s season is over – he will miss out on Grand Prix qualification and Workington Comets’ final run-in.

Nermark: Won’t ride at Derwent Park

The Swedish rider had to pull out of a meeting in Poland and is staying in the country to have a knee operation this week.

He won’t be able to get back onto a bike for five months, so his immediate target is to make the start of the 2009 season.

Nermark was riding in Poland’s Division One for Ostrow when he had to pull out of his first race. He was in agony from his knee.

The Workington number one tried to go out and take part in his second programme ride but was unable to do so.

Workington team manager Ian Thomas said: “Daniel was in so much pain he just couldn’t ride and do himself justice.

“The knee braces haven’t worked and when he went to hospital the surgeon there said that if he had tried to ride in one more race it could easily have finished his career.

“When he had the original injury there was some debate among the people involved in Denmark as to whether he needed an operation or not. He’s obviously heeded the advice of the Polish surgeon and is to stay out there and have the operation early next week.

“I feel desperately sorry for Daniel. He had spent a lot of money on getting these knee braces made but it appears to have been for nothing.

“He is going to miss the chance of qualifying for the GP series and also miss-out on our Knockout Cup and play-off challenges.”

He was already due to miss Workington's match with Newcastle on Saturday while he rode in a GP final qualifier in Poland, but had to pull-out of that prestigious meeting.

Nermark will also miss out on the Premier League Riders Championship at Sheffield on Sunday. He was going to be the Workington representative and would have been one of the meeting favourites.

It means that skipper Kauko Nieminen will take his place at the Owlerton showdown.