Jorge Martin suffered another physical setback during the San Marino GP weekend, adding to the injuries that have plagued him since he joined Aprilia last year.
The Spaniard suffered nerve compression in his right forearm, commonly known among riders as arm pump.
The problem worsened on Sunday, when Martin made a strong start and moved into first place, leading the race for five laps before pain and a loss of feeling in his right arm caused him to drop to fifth.
On Wednesday, Martin will undergo a medical check-up in Barcelona, where specialist upper-limb surgeons who regularly treat him will assess the injury and determine the best course of action.
Martin will then travel to Spielberg for this weekend's Austrian GP. A decision on whether he requires surgery will be made afterwards, depending on how his arm responds at the Red Bull Ring.
Surgery for arm pump is relatively straightforward and recovery is typically quick, meaning Martin could be back to a good level of fitness for the following grand prix in Japan on 4 October. However, as the rider himself said on Sunday, "going under the knife can always bring complications and it is something that has to be carefully assessed", particularly with the championship approaching its decisive stages.
"After Austria we will evaluate how to address this physical problem and analyse the possible solutions," Martin explained ahead of the Austrian weekend.
"Misano did not go exactly as we expected. Despite that, we are taking the positives, as in the long race I had good feelings and a good pace; I was riding as I like until I started to notice that my forearm was tightening," he continued.
"Now it is time to focus on Austria, a circuit I like," the Spaniard concluded.
Martin moved into the world championship lead at the end of June in Assen, when he had 193 points, 40 more than Marc Marquez, who was fifth at the time.
In just four races, the Ducati rider has erased that deficit, with Marquez now leading the standings on 274 points, level with Martin but ahead on countback thanks to his five victories compared to Martin's one.
