Motor sport: I’ll be back, says Valentino

VALENTINO Rossi is in good spirits and joking following an operation on a broken leg suffered during his horrific fall on Saturday.

The Fiat Yamaha rider suffered a compound fracture of his right shinbone when he came off his bike in practice for yesterday’s Italian MotoGP at Mugello and spent two-and-a-half hours in surgery.

Rossi’s bid to retain his world title has been ended by the injury, which could see him sidelined for four to five months. However, the 31-year-old remains upbeat.

He said: “I’ll come back soon. I was afraid, now it’s a lot better. It will take time, the important thing is to return to 100%.

“It was a bad fall, a bad injury, but it’s going well.”