Andrews in for Vermeulen at Kawasaki

BRITISH SUPERBIKE star Simon Andrews has been lined up to replace injured Australian Chris Vermeulen at the Paul Bird World Superbike Kawasaki squad, the team has announced.

MotoGP refugee Vermeulen sustained leg injuries at the opening round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship, when the Australian crashed out of race one. The former MotoGP man has undergone keyhole surgery today (Thursday) in Belgium to repair cartilage and ligament damage sustained in the crash.

Despite his injuries, Vermeulen made an appearance at last weekend's second round of the WSB championship at Portimao, but only took to track during practice for a handful of laps. The former World Supersport Champion's injuries prevented him from taking part in either of the Portuguese rounds.

Speaking about his WSB chance, Andrews said:

"This is a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to giving as much as I can to the team."

A decision whether Vermeulen will be fit to race in the next round of the 2010 WSB championship will be taken over the next few days.