MotoGP’s medical director Angel Charte believes it will be “quite difficult” for injured Marc Marquez to return to action at the Portuguese Grand Prix next month.
Marquez has already been ruled out of the Australia-Malaysia double header after a collision caused by Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia left him with a fracture on his right shoulder.
The Ducati rider immediately returned to Madrid after the incident and, after undergoing extensive examinations by his trusted medical team, initially opted for a conservative recovery, avoiding surgery.
However, after further tests on Sunday, Marquez underwent an operation to stabilise the injured area of his right shoulder.
Speaking on Thursday ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Dr Charte provided more details about the world champion’s condition.
"Last week, during his check-up at the Ruber International Clinic in Madrid, Dr. Roger de Oña and his team decided that the injury was unstable and wisely decided to secure it much better," Charte said.
"Marc has already undergone surgery. He was discharged 24 hours later and began a period of rest, and when the doctor deems it appropriate, he will begin his recovery."
No timeline for recovery has been provided but there is no hurry for Marquez to get back on the bike, having wrapped up his ninth world title in Japan a week prior to his Indonesia crash.
However, Charte thinks it is unlikely that he will be fit enough to take part in the penultimate round of the season on 9 November.
This means that the earliest he could make a return would be the Valencia finale on 16 November.
The Valencia GP would be followed by the traditional post-season test, where all manufacturers will run their 2026 prototypes together for the first time.
"I think Australia, Malaysia, and [reappearing in] Portugal, it’s quite difficult because it's also an injury that can have after-effects if not treated calmly," Charte said.
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