Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez is currently not planning to race at the Italian Grand Prix, while the first return timeline for his brother Alex Marquez has also emerged.
Marquez missed the Catalan Grand Prix, effectively his home race, after undergoing surgery. He fractured the fifth metatarsal in his foot when he crashed in the Le Mans Sprint, but he was already planning to go under the knife to address a complication from his 2025 shoulder injury.
A screw from the shoulder repair was pressing on his radial nerve, significantly weakening the reigning champion in the early rounds of the season.
Should Marc Marquez try to return at the Italian Grand Prix?
Marc Marquez prioritising Hungarian Grand Prix over Mugello
While the double operation went well, Davide Tardozzi indicated Marquez was a doubt for Mugello during an interview in Barcelona.
Unlike at the end of last season, there’s an incentive for Marquez to rush back. He has slipped 85 points behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi, which makes his path to the title extremely narrow.
But according to El Periodico, Marquez intends to sit out another race to ensure he’s ‘much stronger’ for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the start of June.
Will the opportunity to beat Valentino Rossi inspire Marc Marquez to fight through his latest injury?
With Nicolo Bulega once again in World Superbikes action, Ducati may require the services of Michele Pirro. Marquez wasn’t replaced in Barcelona but the rules will require Luigi Dall’Igna to name a substitute next time.
Teammate Francesco Bagnaia will have a wrist injury examined after a bruising period for the Borgo Panigale factory.
How many races Alex Marquez is expected to miss for Gresini
Meanwhile, Gresini rider Alex Marquez is expected to be out for at least six weeks after his horror crash last weekend.
The outcome clearly could have been a lot worse, but his C7 fracture requires a lengthy rest period. He underwent surgery to realign his collarbone, but doctors have chosen to let the vertebra heal naturally.
A six-week absence, starting from last Sunday, would keep him out until the end of June. That means he will miss four races: Italy, Hungary, Czechia and the Netherlands, though he could return at the German GP just before the summer break.
The Italian Grand Prix is likely to be the first MotoGP race without either of the Marquez brothers since the end of the 2012 season.
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