Forres athlete Mark Mitchell has already set his sights on next year's Commonwealth Games in India after being ruled out of the European under-23 Championship trials through injury.

The 21-year-old 800m starlet was due to travel to the Bedford International Athletics Stadium this weekend but will miss out after failing to shrug off a thigh injury.

The Forres AC star has given up hope of competing this season but has vowed to sort his iliotibial band syndrome problem out once and for all.

"All I can do now is train hard and hope that is enough for the injury to heal properly," he said.

"Once that is done and I am totally sure I am fit and healthy then I can really start competing hard so that when the Commonwealth Games come around I am in form and hitting the times I need to get there.

"It is frustrating to have this type of injury because before I had it I was running well and being successful but things just suddenly went downhill.

"But I have been out for so long now that I didn't really contemplate running at Bedford. I obviously really wanted to because of what is at stake but I just have to look to the future now."