The Assen MotoGP, in the Netherlands, could yet receive another blow in terms of great riders that are not going to compete. Another name on the list is Marco Melandri. After the horrible crash that he suffered on the first corner of the Catalunya GP, the Italian will make a last minute decision concerning his participation in Assen's TT race. After the accident, some of the greatest pilots of the MotoGP were forced to come out of the race.

Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau were, by far, the most affected ones. While the former number one in the overall standings - Capirossi - got lucky with only a few minor bruises, the Spaniard had much more to put up with. He was immediately taken to the hospital - actually, they all were - and had to undergo surgery on his left collarbone. After the doctors had to remove a metal plate from a previous fracture, Gibernau received, earlier today, the medical verdict: he will have to stay out of the MotoGP for the next 5 weeks. His place in the Ducati team will be taken by German rider Alexander Hofmann.

Well, as Marco Melandri is concerned, due to the gravity of his medical condition, he might miss this week Assen GP, on Saturday afternoon. The Italian suffered serious injuries on the neck, shoulders and arms, after the horrible crash in Spain. And, after staying all week long under medical care, Melandri hopes that he will be able to attend the Dutch TT GP. If not, he will more than likely lose any chance to recover the point-deficit from the last two races.

"Thanks to the therapies I feel better. My neck hurts a lot and I think this will be the main problem. The final decision will be taken later on before the first day of practice", said Melandri today.

As Loris Capirossi is concerned, he is more than likely to start in the Dutch GP. After leading the standings - along with American rival Nicky Hayden - the Italian will now have to recover the 20-point deficit between him and Hayden. The American finished second in Catalunya, after Italian Valentino Rossi.