Surprise operation for Fermin Aldeguer ahead of the Asian tour – Doctors in Barcelona removed a screw from his thigh
Fermin Aldeguer has undergone surgery ahead of the MotoGP overseas tour, which begins with the Japanese Grand Prix from 2 to 4 October. During the procedure, a screw was removed from the Gresini Ducati rider’s left leg.
Aldeguer had suffered a thigh fracture in early January whilst preparing for the MotoGP pre-season on a production motorbike at the Aspar Circuit in Valencia.
The crash was violent and the fracture serious: he missed the winter test sessions and was unable to take part in the first Grand Prix of the year in Thailand. Although he has been able to ride since then, he has also been in pain.
As recently as early September, Aldeguer said that it would not be possible to have surgery during the season to remove the metal from his left leg. He initially envisaged having the operation in the winter.
However, he has now used the race-free week between the races in Austria and Japan to undergo the procedure. The operation was carried out in Barcelona at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus by Dr Ignacio Ginebreda.
During the procedure, one of the screws that had been causing pain was removed. The operation was performed on an outpatient basis, meaning Aldeguer was able to leave the medical centre on Wednesday afternoon and return home.
Further operation after the end of the season
However, the pin in the bone has not yet been removed. This operation is not scheduled until after the end of the season, as such a procedure would entail a forced break of several weeks, including rehabilitation.
However, the leg injury was not the Spaniard from Murcia’s only injury this season: at the end of June, shortly after his podium finish in Barcelona (2nd place), he suffered a heavy crash at Assen and sustained a cervical vertebra fracture.
This injury sidelined him for the race weekend in the Netherlands, as well as the following two Grands Prix at the Sachsenring and Silverstone, including the summer break in between.
The Gresini rider returned at MotorLand Aragon at the end of August after a two-month break and narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing fourth at Misano. Most recently, at Spielberg, he finished eighth and tested the 850cc Ducati on Monday.
As well as aiming for the best possible end to the season, Aldeguer’s priority is to use the winter to make a full recovery from his leg injury before joining Valentino Rossi’s VR46 racing team in 2027 as an official Ducati works rider on factory machinery.
