Rossi has surgery on broken leg

ROME: Italian motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi has undergone successful surgery after breaking his leg in a training crash and will have to rest for 40 days, doctors confirmed on Friday.

If the 38-year-old is sidelined for two months he would miss the next two MotoGP races in San Marino and Spain but could possibly return in Japan on October 15.

“It will depend a lot on him but I think that he will have to rest at least 40 days,” said Dr. Raffaele Pascarella, who carried out the surgery.

“However, he has already said he wants to return as soon as possible.”

The nine-time world champion in all categories was on board an endurance bike when the accident happened and was first transferred to hospital at Urbino, in eastern Italy, and later underwent surgery in Ancona.

“Valentino Rossi had a successful operation on the displaced fractures of the tibia and fibula of his right leg,” his Yahama team said in a statement.

“The surgery went well. This morning, when I woke up, I felt already good,” Rossi said.

The nine-time world champion in all categories is lying fourth in this season’s MotoGP standings after 12 of 18 races.

This is the second time Rossi has crashed this year. In May he was treated in hospital for chest and stomach injuries after a motocross training spill. - AFP