Marc Marquez injures hand in training crash

Marquez had an accident while riding on a dirt track and fractured his little finger.

He was operated on by regular MotoGP surgeon Dr Xavier Mir at Barcelona's Quiron Dexeus University hospital and had a titanium plate fitted.

The next MotoGP round is just a week away, as the European season starts with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

Dr Mir said: "The patient presented a deformity to the little finger of his left hand and a subsequent x-ray showed a fracture of the proximal phalanx, with displacement.

"Therefore, we decided to treat the injury - as we would in the case of any other patient - by fixing a titanium plate to his finger.

"This will allow us to initiate functional recovery after 24 hours and give him a chance of racing at Jerez."

Marquez is currently only fifth in the MotoGP standings following a collision with championship leader Valentino Rossi as they battled for the lead in the last round in Argentina.

It is the Honda rider's second dirt-bike training injury in as many years.

He broke his right leg in a crash on the eve of the 2014 season and missed much of winter testing, although he recovered in time for the opening grand prix in Qatar and went on to win the first 10 races of the year.

It remains unclear whether Honda's other full-time rider Dani Pedrosa will be fit for Jerez, as he continues to recover from radical surgery to attempt to cure a persistent arm pump problem.

Test rider Hiroshi Aoyama has been standing in for Pedrosa.