Johann Zarco avoids surgery after Catalan GP crash, targets September MotoGP return

Johann Zarco will not undergo surgery to treat an injury to his left knee and that, following a positive response to his rehabilitation, he will return to competition after the summer, his team confirmed in a statement.

Zarco reportedly visited Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet in Lyon to assess the current condition of his knee on 1 July. He is continuing his recovery process, and hopes to make a return to racing in September.

"Following the crash in Barcelona, the first MRI scans were carried out while the knee was still very swollen, making it difficult to accurately assess the severity of the injury," the team explained.

"As the swelling went down, subsequent examinations provided a clearer picture and a more positive prognosis than expected, and the injuries initially suspected were no longer confirmed. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is healing well, while the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which was initially believed to be torn, is also showing encouraging signs of recovery. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) remains torn.”

During the past few weeks, the French rider had been waiting for a burn to heal before undergoing surgery. In the meantime, he continued training and made steady progress, "which made non-surgical treatment a viable option," the team added.

"Following the recommendations of the medical team, and given that the doctors are impressed by Johann's progress, the rider will not undergo surgery and will continue with a rehabilitation programme focused on recovery and strengthening. Following further medical evaluations, the objective is for Zarco to return to the track in September."

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

Accident in Barcelona

The Catalan GP held on May 17 in Barcelona ended with two red flags, three starts and several accidents of varying severity, with the French rider among those affected.

Following a first red flag, the race was restarted from the grid with a standing start, a second start that ended at the first corner when Italians Luca Marini and Francesco Bagnaia were involved in a crash together with Zarco. The Frenchman's left leg became trapped in the rear wheel of Bagnaia's Ducati, causing the rupture of several knee ligaments.

According to the first medical report issued by the team on May 18, Zarco suffered "injuries to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, as well as to the medial meniscus. Also a small tear of the fibula in the ankle area," the latter injury having already healed.

Two days after the accident, the French rider travelled to the practice of French knee specialist Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, in Lyon, where the orthopaedic surgeon determined that: "following a thorough examination, it is estimated that he should wait a couple of weeks before undergoing surgery to treat the damage to his ligaments, which will allow the initial trauma and other knee injuries time to heal before the operation," the team reported again.

When the time came, Zarco was unable to undergo surgery after suffering a wound in the knee area which, in the event of surgery, would put him at risk of a serious infection, as the rider himself explained on his social media on 1 June.

Although there is no fixed date for Zarco's return, the LCR team confirmed on Wednesday that Britain's Cal Crutchlow will contest next week's German GP, the final race before the summer break.

Crutchlow has replaced Zarco since his injury, contesting the grands prix of Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, ahead of next week's race at Sachsenring and, in all likelihood, will continue to stand in for him until his return.