BURY world champion boxer Scott Quigg is still hoping for big-name opponents next year despite being forced to delay his ring return due to a hand injury.

The 26-year-old enjoyed another fruitful 12 months in 2014 with three successful defences of his WBA super bantamweight crown.

But in the last of those, a unanimous points victory over Japan's Hidenori Ohtake at Liverpool's Echo Arena in November, Quigg injured his right hand and has now had surgery to repair tendons.

It means his plans to return in March have had to be shelved but he hopes the lay-off will not be too long.

Quigg told Sky Sports: "The damage was done in the ninth round – I landed a right hook over the top.

“I caught him quite high on the head, it felt like a little pop in my hand, and I thought it didn’t feel right.

"When I got back to the corner I mentioned it to my trainer Joe Gallagher, and he asked how bad it was. I said, don’t worry – I’m still going to keep throwing it.

“I thought it was going to be okay as my hand had improved while I’d been on holiday after the fight.

"I could move it, and there wasn’t as much pain. But I can’t get too down. There’s a lot of people worse off than me.

“I’ve got to be careful, this is an injury you can’t rush back from.

"I’ve got to make sure it’s healed before I start using it.

"I can’t do too much too soon, or it might hamper my career.

"With the timescale on healing, you’re looking at early May now before I’m back in the ring.”

It may be frustrating for such a dedicated athlete like Quigg who spends much of his time in the gym between fights and is the consummate professional in looking after his body away from the ring.

But the lay-off will give him a deserved rest after another hectic year.

His first outing of 2014 saw him despatch South African Tshifhiwa Munyai inside two rounds and then in September, again at Manchester's Phones 4u Arena, he did likewise to Belgian Stephane Jamoye – a superb body shot stopping his opponent in the third round.

Back out just two months later, a late change of opponent brought unknown quantity Ohtake to British shores.

It turned out to be a battle that went the distance but Quigg was the comprehensive winner to make it five successful defences of his belt.

A sixth may now have to wait until next summer but the Bury star remains determined to take on the biggest names in his weight division with IBF champion Carl Frampton and WBC king Leo Santa Cruz the obvious targets for unification bouts.

Quigg added: "I want to come back with a big fight – I don’t need a warm up after this injury has healed.

"If I’m going to move along in my career, next year is going to be all those big fights.

"I’m going to be in the gym all next year – that’s what it’s going to take to beat the likes of those guys.”