Alex Marquez withdraws from Qatar MotoGP race for surgery

Alex Marquez has announced he will pull out of the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix for shoulder surgery following a third-place finish in Malaysia.

The Gresini Ducati rider broke his collarbone and damaged his right shoulder in a horrifying crash at the Catalan Grand Prix in May.

Marquez has struggled with the injury since returning and has recently developed bursitis in his shoulder.

He admitted on Saturday that he was weighing up skipping Qatar to have surgery, and has now confirmed this is his plan after finishing third from pole on Sunday at Sepang.

Marquez will have surgery on Monday

Marquez says he has been riding with painkillers since he returned, but even those are no longer working for him.

He aims to return for the Portuguese Grand Prix later in the month.

“Tomorrow, from the moment that I came back after the Catalunya accident, I have struggled with my right shoulder,” Marquez said.

“I decided tomorrow to have surgery in Madrid.

“I will try to come back in Portimao.

“Speaking with the doctors, that is possible, especially because I was suffering a lot in these back-to-back races.

“So, it was impossible for me to do three in a row.

“So, they decided to step back a little bit. I was racing every race with painkillers, so even that now was not enough.

“So, now it’s time to do that surgery and come back stronger in Portimao and Valencia.”

He added: “Well, I need to take out the plate from the collarbone, which is quite big.

“But the main problem is the inflammation I have in the shoulder, so it’s two surgeries in one.

“So, that will be the main thing, to extract all of the fluid in the right shoulder, because now I can’t do any work at home. I don’t have muscle, I don’t have nothing.”