Italy’s Valentino Rossi will be unable to take part in this weekend’s Italian MotoGP race, the Gran Premio Tribul Mastercard di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, at Misano.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team regrets to report that injuries to the popular multi-time world champion mean he must be sidelined.

Rossi was hospitalised after an enduro accident late last week.

Following a medical examination at the ‘Ospedale Civile di Urbino’, where he was initially diagnosed, the Italian was transported to the ‘Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Ospedali Riuniti’ in Ancona.

Upon arrival, he received surgery by Dr. Raffaele Pascarella, Director of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Division. During the surgery the fractures were fixated using a metal pin, without any complications.

Rossi was absent from MotoGP for 42 days while recovering from the similar leg injury and surgery in 2010.

He finished fourth on his MotoGP comeback at Sachsenring, returned to the podium at the next event at Laguna Seca and won again four months after the accident, at Sepang.

Practice for this year’s Japanese Grand Prix will be 43 days after Rossi’s enduro accident. If a Motegi return is possible, Rossi would only miss Misano and Aragon.

Rossi is currently fourth in the world championship, 26 points behind championships leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), with six rounds remaining.

Rossi is expected to take between 30-40 days to recover from his injury/surgery.

The Factory Yamaha team will compete at this weekend’s round 13 of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship at Misano with Maverick Viñales as its sole rider.

Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here

Photo courtesy Yamaha Europe