MotoGP Rider Admits Surgery Is a Real Possibility

VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio suffered a tough Misano MotoGP five days ago, as he ran the risk of suffering another dislocation.

Di Giannantonio suffered his injury during the Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring in August and despite an impressive performance at Aragon a week prior to Misano, the Italian’s condition is far from ideal.

Speaking after Aragon where he finished seventh, ahead of team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio provided an update, saying: “At the moment I think I'm 60 per cent physically and I think it will take a long time [to heal], honestly. Because the shoulder is a really critical spot to get injured. So it's not that good. And also making two races in a row is not great.

“I think in Misano 2 I will be maybe, I hope, 80 per cent. But also it's true that from now until the end of the season, or until ever honestly, whatever crash I do, I have like an 80 per cent that the shoulder can go away again. I can have another dislocation. So at the moment it is quite critical and we have to work around this problem.

“We’ll monitor this shoulder from now until the end of the season. And then we will see if I have to get surgery or whatever.”

Di Giannantonio soldiered through the first of two Misano rounds, however, it was very apparent that the soon-to-be Ducati supported rider - Di Giannantonio is staying with VR46 for the next two seasons but will do so with the latest-spec Desmosedici bike, the same package as Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez - was struggling with his shoulder.

With any potential crash Di Giannantonio might have there is an 80 per cent chance of dislocating his shoulder again.

“The priority is the recovery,” Di Giannantonio explained prior to last Monday’s one-day test which he didn’t participate in. “Tomorrow I won't be on the track and I will try to make the most of these two weeks [until Misano 2].”

“When I did the first medical check, the doctor already said that this shoulder should be operated on,” revealed Di Giannantonio, currently eighth in the world championship. “So theoretically yes [I’ll need surgery]. But we have to see because if we do a really good job with the muscles and everything, maybe I won't have any more problems and I can continue like this.

“But we have to wait for all the inflammation to clear, the liquid and all these things. So it will be a long process.”

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