Pol Espargaro update: Teeth extracted, “doctors don’t share team’s confidence”

Espargaro may remain on the sidelines for a further four months until August, Speedweek report.

His GASGAS Tech3 team hope he could be fit to race in two months, at Mugello (11 June), Sachsenring (18 June) or Assen (25 June), the report says, but medical professionals have a longer time-frame in mind.

Espargaro crashed at the season-opening Portuguese MotoGP in FP2, and has missed all six races across three rounds so far as a result.

He suffered a broken jaw which has required surgery, a lung issue and also has a back injury.

His brother Aleix Espargaro has previously said: “He will have a very long recovery process. The most important thing is that he can recover. 

“He wants to get on the bike tomorrow, but that can't happen. 

“The important thing, being young, is that he recovers well from the issue of his back because it is a complicated injury.

“It seemed that it would be all a little less but he is in a lot of pain.”

The brutal details of Pol Espargaro’s recovery

His jaw injury, on the right side of his face, was impairing his hearing. The surgery to fix it meant several teeth were extracted, and replaced by implants.

His lung contusion affected his breathing capacity. His breathing is being partially supported by a ventilator.

His back injury needs more rest and will prevent any serious rehabilitation work starting.

When his back and lung problems are healed, he will need several weeks of training just to rebuild the core fitness required to race a MotoGP bike.

When will Pol Espargaro be back?

Estimates for his comeback are July 9 (Kazakhstan), August 6 (Silverstone) or August 20 (Spielberg), according to Speedweek.

Jonas Folger replaced Espargaro for GASGAS Tech3 at the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas, and is signed up to race at Jerez and Le Mans on May 14.

Although Folger is unconfirmed beyond May 14 because of the team’s optimism surrounding Espargaro’s return, it is expected that he will continue deputising until GASGAS Tech3’s top rider is ready.