Moment of truth for Marc Marquez inches closer amid latest injury

The Repsol Honda rider has been included in the provisional entry list for the event whereas, for example, the injured Enea Bastianini has not.

But Marquez’s return to the bike will be entirely decided by doctors, who blocked his planned comeback last week in Jerez.

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Marquez explained that the fracture in his hand, and the screws used to fix it, would not have withstood the power of braking a MotoGP bike and might have caused further damage.

Another injury to this delicate bone could have ended Marquez’s career, he says.

But two weeks on from that disappointment Marquez will have another shot at returning.

He confirmed in Jerez, as he withdrew, that he would target Le Mans as a more realistic return date.

The six-time MotoGP champion who entered 2023 injury-free after career-threatening arm surgery last summer sustained this latest problem when he crashed into Miguel Oliveira on the third lap of the season-opener at Portimao.

The status of the double long lap penalty he was hit with remains unknown.

The MotoGP Court of Appeals are yet to deliver their final verdict, after Honda complained that the rule had been reworded to force Marquez to serve a penalty whenever he was fit again.

He sits 80 points behind championship-leader Francesco Bagnaia.

Marquez spent the weekend before Le Mans at the Motocross world championship.