Ducati ‘hopeful’ of a Marc Marquez Valencia MotoGP return ‘but no rush’

Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi says the Italian manufacturer “is hoping” to have Marc Marquez back for the Valencia MotoGP finale but won’t “rush” the world champion.

The 32-year-old suffered a complicated right shoulder injury after a crash with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap of the Indonesian Grand Prix.

While initially determined not to need surgery, that decision was reversed last week as the injury didn’t show the signs of consolidation hoped for by his doctors.

The operation was deemed successful, but Marc Marquez is confirmed as a non-starter for the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix, and is also highly unlikely to be present in Portugal.

A recovery timeline has not been given by Ducati, though medical experts have already suggested an injury of this nature could take 16 weeks to fully heal.

Tardozzi is hopeful, despite this, that the seven-time world champion will be able to race in the Valencia final in mid-November.

However, he insists Ducati will not rush Marquez back given his prior injury woes.

“The injury is quite bad,” he told TNT Sport.

“It doesn’t allow him to be in the next two races, so we will see what it’s going to be for the last one.

“I think we are hoping that he will be back for Valencia, but so far we have to wait [to see] what will be [shown in] the new scan and what the doctors will say to him in two weeks.

“We cross our fingers to have him in the last race of the season and have him in the Valencia test.

“But, again, we have to wait to see what the doctors say.

“We don’t want to be in a rush. He suffered a lot in the past by coming back too early, too soon, to race.

“So, we want to take the time that is necessary to heal from the surgery he had last week.”

Aprilia’s Bezzecchi - who topped Friday Practice at Phillip Island - will have to serve a double long lap penalty in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

Marquez is being replaced by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro in Australia, with Ducati also confirming on Friday that the Italian will be in place next week in Malaysia.