Franco Morbidelli hopes to make a return to MotoGP action at this weekend's Sach🐻senring round.

The Marc VDS Hಞonda rider fractured the third metacarpal in his left hand during Saturday morning practice at Assen, ruling him out of the ⛎Dutch race.

But th🦩e Italian - tipped to join the new SIC satellite Yamaha team in 2019 -🔯 did not require surgery and hopes to have recovered enough to be passed fit by medical officials for this weekend's German Grand Prix.

If Morbi✃delli is not passed fit tꦍo ride, Marc VDS will announce a replacement rider on Thursday.

"The injured left hand has recovered quite 𓆉well and I decided to travel to Germany," Morbidelli said.

"Doctors will make some checks on Thursday in Sachsenring to find out about my condition and to decide if💙 I’m ready to race or not. 

"Last year I won in Germany my sixth race of the season and also became championship leader, so I ke𝓰ep very good memories from Sachsenring.”

Morbidelli is cur♓rently two-points ahead of Tech3's Hafizh Syahrin in the battle for Rookie of 🔜the Year honours. 

While Morbidelli has been recov﷽ering, team-mate Thomas Luthi took part in a private Honda test at Brno.

The S🧔wiss star, along with fellow rookie Xavier Simeon, are the only riders yet to score a world championship point in 2018.

“Sachsenring is a track I like a lot and it is a pleasure for me to ride there because I have always had great support and many people come from Switzerland to cheer me on as well," Lu♑thi said.

"It is where I made my debut in the World Championship in 2002, so I have some great memories and that makes it special for me too. The tr🎃ack is tricky because of its tight ♐layout and there are a lot of left-hand corners which make it quite unique. 

"I am sure it will feel even shorter on a MotoGP bike but I am relishing the challenge and after the positive test in Brno I am hoping this weekend can finally be the one in which I break into the top 15.”