Marc Marquez 💫is thought to have suffered a partial shoulder dislocation when he fell on the opening lap of qualifying for the Valencia MotoGP season finale.

Visibly in pain as he returned to the paddock, th💯e Repsol Honda rider gritted his teeth and, after a medical check, returned to claim fifth on the grid!

𝓀Marquez had lost the front of his RCV at Turn 4, landing on his frequently damaged shoulder - most recently dislocated as he c🐭elebrated his fifth MotoGP title triumph with Scott Redding at Motegi - when he bounced through the gravel.

Marquez is down and looks to have hurt his shoulder, is it dislocated once again?

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Qualifying

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"I knew since Motegi the shoulder is not so good. Even last week I had a few troubles with it [in training] and I'm not 100%," Marquez said. "But today I was unluckyಞ because I was not pushing, just maybe the tyre was not up to the correct temperature.

"I lost the front and then when I arrived in the gravel I felt something strange in the s🍸houlder.

"It was different to Japan because then I needed helꦡp from my mates [to put the shoulder back in] and today - of course I felt something strange - but then I tried to move and felt a small 'crack', but that was it.

back to his pit box, a quick stop to check his shoulder in the truck, and now back in the garage...

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Given♔ the pain, Marquez was happy to settle for fi൲fth on the grid.

"In this case it was impossible to forget the pain. I did just two flying laps and stopped in the box because it was enougꦡh. I said 'okay, I don’t want pole position, I just want a time to be on the front two rows'.

"I think it was even better than I expected because the pain was there, but the most important is that I was ready to ride the bike - as we see because the lap times𓂃 were fast."

Despite his qualifying heroics, Marquez knows he faces a gruelling race on Sunday and that the shoulder - which has been braced by tape "for the past six races" - can only be cured by surgery inꦍ December✨.

"Now it's important to work in a good way with the physio to be, not 100% tomorro🅺w, but to be reꦚady for the race," Marquez said.

"Si𒐪nce Motegi, the problem is that I didn't stop🐟. I rode in Phillip Island, in Malaysia… The injury is always there and it's something you can only fix with surgery.

"Then last week training a little bit, not with the bike, I felt some strange move✃ment and again the pain.

"It was not a complete [dislocation] but it was a very strange movement an𒊎d then it's like an injury that is always there. You need to stop. So I will stop in December, but now I can't.

"The good thꦰing is that the muscles are really good and if I don’t have a strong impact, the shoulder is there. Of course, if it feels unstable, I would not be here. I'd stay at home because everythi🐷ng [the world title] is done.

"But I feel like r𝔍iding the bike is okay. Always some pain, but𒆙 I feel safe.

"So it's𝓰 luc𒈔ky we are at the last race and we have only a few tests - Valencia and Jerez - before surgery in December."

While q🗹ualifying took place on an♛ almost fully dry track, heavy rain is forecast to return to Valencia tomorrow.

"If it's dry or🍰 wet I feel ready to fight for the podium. Then we will see. Of course I will try to finish the race in the best position," Marquez said.