Melandri concerned about fitness

The Italian had to pull out of the Brno race after suffering severe neck pains during Friday practice. He was later diagnosed with a hernia, and although he is adamant that he will contest the Misano event this weekend, he remains concerned about his physical condition.

"The medical checks after Brno confirmed a discal hernia between the fifth and sixth vertebrae but luckily the need for surgery was ruled out," said Melandri.

"I need more rest and physiotherapy right up until the eve of the Grand Prix. The situation is better compared to Brno but I know I am running out of time."

The Italian believes he will only be able to judge his condition when he takes to the track for the first practice session.

"I just hope to be in good shape for the race because this is a special Grand Prix for my team," Melandri said.

"For me it will be a physically challenging race after the problems I had at Brno. I'll have to see how it is when I get on the bike on Friday but I'm hoping to be fit."

Melandri's teammate Toni Elias is also struggling with his physical condition as he continues to recover from the broken leg that he sustained in a practice crash at Assen two months ago.

But he is confident that he has taken a step forward since finishing 11th in his comeback race in the Czech Republic a fortnight ago.

"Soon after my crash at Assen I set my comeback target for Brno. I worked hard, eight hours a day, and made it back at around 60 percent fitness," Elias said.

"I took the weekend as a kind of test and it was tough but with another two weeks of rehab behind me I feel more confident now. I've still got a lot of work to do, of course, but I feel calm."