MotoGP: Marquez struggling with slow healing shoulder injury

Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has found himself in real trouble as the 2019 season gets underway in Sepang, struggling with the shoulder he had surgery on before Christmas and unable to match his opposition over three days of testing. Ending up 11^th overall and completing only half the laps of his rivals, the Repsol Honda rider is now in a struggle to be fully fit before the first race of the season in less than a month.

Undergoing an operation to strengthen the shoulder joint that continually dislocated throughout the 2018 season, it’s understood that complications with the surgery has left him far from in the condition he expected. Completing only 100 laps over three days of testing, it’s not only his physical fitness that’s holding him back but continuing problems with inflammation in the joint.

“Day three was very positive, especially with my physical condition – I’m feeling much better. Yesterday I was a little worried about riding today, but I woke up and felt better. We were able to try many things for Honda today and I felt really good on the bike, comfortable and consistent. Everything we had planned to do this test, we have done. Of course, I would have liked to ride more but we had to take it a bit easy. Even so, I’m happy because I was riding easy, not in my riding style but I was able to ride more. I didn’t crash and we tried the most important things for the team, I am happy because of this.”