Viñales, who is himself of Catalonian origin, has been plagued by injury troubles for the last year or so and was forced to miss out the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez as well as last weekend's French Grand Prix in Le Mans.

After suffering a big crash at the Sepang test at the start of the year, it was clear that Viñales would have to undergo some kind of operation in order to remove a loose screw from his shoulder. With that procedure complete, the Tech3 rider has been on the road to recovery and has been cleared to return for this weekend's action in Barcelona.

Much like Viñales, reigning world champion Marc Marquez also suffered a heavy crash and has undergone a similar operation in recent days to remove two screws from a prior Latarjet procedure. While complicated, the process can be done through a mere 5cm incision, and is designed to prevent further dislocations. The recovery process for Marquez is expected to be completed in a similarly quick timeframe, with many believing Ducati are targetting a return in Mugello two weeks from now.

The sixth round of the 2026 MotoGP season is set to take place this weekend 15 - 17 May at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain as the title rivalry between Aprilia temmates Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi takes shape. Check out the full weekend schedule and timetable here.