Andrea Dovizioso sure Dani Pedrosa will return

British MotoGP runner-up Andrea Dovizioso has dismissed talk that Dani Pedrosa will not return to MotoGP in 2011 as absurd.

Rumour has been rife in Spain that Pedrosa will sit out the rest of the season after suffering another crushing injury blow while trying to recover from the broken right collarbone he suffered in Le Mans following a controversial clash with Marco Simoncelli.

It has been rumoured that Pedrosa hurt his shoulder again in a supermoto accident and he’s not even sure to return to action in Assen next week having already missed the Catalunya and Silverstone races.

But Dovizioso said he expected the Spaniard to be riding his Repsol Honda RC212V soon and the Italian told MCN: “Nobody can really know exactly what is going on. When you crash and you have all these injuries like Dani, it is very difficult. He started off the season really strong.

“He had a bad point with the left shoulder but he had an operation and made that ok. He was strong in the championship, probably stronger than ever. And another rider has stopped him for a small thing. I think it is something too hard for him. But I think Dani is really strong and I don’t believe that he is not coming back.”