Johann Zarco must wait “a couple of weeks” for surgery on the ligament damage he suffered in his horrific crash during MotoGP’s Catalan Grand Prix last weekend.
The LCR Honda rider’s leg became trapped in Pecco Bagnaia’s Ducati in the first-corner tangle at the race’s restart, with Zarco being dragged through the gravel by the tumbling bike.
He posted a social media video on Sunday night describing his injuries as fractures and ligament damage, and the latest update published by his team on Tuesday said an initial recovery period would be required before the next steps could be taken – implying that this is likely to be a long lay-off.
“Johann Zarco visited doctor Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet in Lyon, a world-renowned consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Centre Orthopédique Santyin Lyon, France, specialising in the management of knee ligament injuries and sports trauma, to further assess his physical condition,” said the statement.
“Following a thorough examination, it is estimated that he will need to wait a couple of weeks before undergoing surgery for the damage to his ligaments, allowing the initial trauma and other injuries to his knee some time to heal before the procedure.
“Following the surgery, a detailed recovery plan will be established, allowing the medical team to evaluate a possible timeline for his return.”
Zarco was one of two riders injured during Sunday’s race, with Alex Marquez leaving hospital on Monday after surgery on collarbone damage following his dramatic crash with Pedro Acosta’s slowing KTM.
But Marquez must also wait for the next steps of his recovery, as he also sustained a marginal neck fracture that will need to be assessed again this week.