Troubled Polish driver Robert Kubica is back in hospital, according to reports on the BBC, after a fall on ice near his home in Italy.

The 27 year old, who was recovering from multiple fractures and a partially severed right forearm in a rally accident almost a year ago, slipped on ice near his home and reopened a fracture in his right leg, setting back his rehabilitation further.

According to the BBC he will need an operation to insert a metal screw above his ankle, plus more time in plaster.

Kubica split with his long time doctor and ally Riccardo Ceccarelli before Christmas and was going his own way on rehabilitation from the accident.

With Kubica now out of contract, Ferrari has been monitoring his situation, with some strong Kubica supporters within the team. Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali said that the team had no plans to test the driver in the near future with a view to him replacing Felipe Massa in 2013, as has been widely speculated in Italy,

"Robert is a great driver, but he had very severe injuries and he is still working to get back to normal living, " said the Ferrari team boss. "We need to wait to see. That kind of injury takes a long time to recover from."