Marc Marquez's withdraw from Sunday's🍎 Andalucia MotoGP race means that the reigning world champion will start his latest title defence with at least two non-scores.

That setback, combined with the short 13-round season currently forecast and uncertain recovery time needed for his fractured right 𒁃arm, means some are speculating that he may already be out of the 2020 championship fight🧜.

Valentino Rossi, wh𓆉oseღ seven premier-class titles Marquez can equal this season, disagrees.

"First of all, it depends on how many points Quartar🅘aro [1st] and Vinales [2nd] will take tomorrow. And a💝lso Dovi [3rd]," said Rossi.

"The championship is short and [Marquez] will start with a disadvantage, but 🐼in the first race he demonstrated that he has great pace and can win, because he was the fastest.

"So I think that for him it's not over."

As things currently stand Rossi also has z𒐪ero points, after ꧂a technical failure on his Yamaha last Sunday.

"It's💜 a shame because when you have a zero at the beginning of the championship it's difficult. But especially apart from the technical problem in the first race, the problem is that in the first race I suffer too much and I was toꦐo slow," said Rossi, who will start from an improved fourth place tomorrow.

"The ಌchampionship is shorter than normal, but still very long. So ou🅠r target, more than to think about the championship, is try to be strong, try to be competitive."

Then team-mates Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi are the only riders to have so far finished above Marq💃uez in the end-of-season MotoGP standings, finishing first and second respecti꧃vely in 2015.

Marquez is now aiming to return at round three, in&nbs🉐p;Brno, on August🎃 7-9.