World MotoGP champion Marquez to miss two races with fracture / Photo: SONNY TUMBELAKA - AFP
World MotoGP champion Marquez to miss two races with fracture
Newly-crowned world champion Marc Marquez was on Monday ruled out of the next two races after suffering a fracture and ligament injury to his right shoulder in the Indonesia MotoGP race.
The Spaniard was shunted off his Ducati at high speed on the first lap of the Indonesia MotoGP on Sunday.
Ducati said the Spaniard had "suffered a fracture at the base of the coracoid process and a ligament injury to his right shoulder," but ruled out any connection with a previous shoulder injury.
Marquez's medical team in Madrid have "opted for a conservative treatment plan, involving rest and immobilisation of the affected shoulder until it is fully healed and the fracture is clinically consolidated," Ducati said.
This rules Marquez out of the Grand Prix in Australia (October 17-19) and another at Malaysia (October 24-26).
That leaves two more races at Portugal (November 07-09) and Valencia (November 14-16) of the 22 race program.
"Fortunately, the injury isn't severe, but it's important to respect the recovery timeline," said Marquez, who wrapped up a seventh world title the previous week in Japan.
"My goal is to be back before the end of the season, but without rushing things beyond the doctors' recommendations. Both my personal and the team's main goals have been achieved, so now the priority is to recover properly and return at 100 percent."
The incident happened when Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi, who started the race on pole, slammed into the back of him as he tried to regain lost ground at the Mandalika circuit in Lombok.
It sent both riders flying into the gravel and rookie Fermin Aldeguer went on to win a chaotic grand prix.
Marquez and Italian Bezzecchi both walked gingerly away from the crash, but the Spaniard was clutching his shoulder.
The 32-year-old Marquez will undergo weekly check-ups and his progress will determine the final recovery time and his return to competition, the team said.
The Spaniard has a long history of injuries, including breaking his right arm in 2020, almost forcing him to retire.
He sealed the world crown at Motegi in Japan last weekend with five events to spare.
It was his first MotoGP world title since 2019.
R.Brown--PI
