Honda MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo was reportedly admitted to hospital in Italy on Saturday night after experiencing hand pain, and is set to undergo tests next week.
According to local newspaper Corriere del Veneto, Lorenzo was admitted to the A&E department of the Pederzoli clinic in Verona with pain in his hand, and spent two hours there before being discharged.
There has been no official word from Honda or Lorenzo on the specifics of the ailment, but it is understood he will undergo further checks on his hand on Monday.
On Wednesday in Madrid, Lorenzo is due to make his first public appearance as a Honda rider at the team's launch at title sponsor Repsol's headquarters, before heading to Malaysia on February 6 for the first test of the year.
Lorenzo was ruled out of four of the remaining five races of the 2018 season, his last as a Ducati rider, due to a broken wrist he sustained in a heavy crash during practice for the Thailand Grand Prix.
The Spaniard also suffered a fracture in his right foot when he was ejected from his GP18 at the first corner of the Aragon Grand Prix two weeks prior – an incident he sensationally blamed on new teammate Marc Marquez.
Marquez has also endured a winter period of recovery, after he underwent surgery on a badly dislocated left shoulder which gave him problems throughout his title-winning 2018 campaign.
Fellow factory rider Cal Crutchlow of the LCR team also comes into 2019 off the back of injury, with the Briton forced to miss the final three races of the year when he broke his ankle in a crash at Phillip Island.
The works Honda team will reveal its 2019 livery at 1030 local time on Wednesday 23, and will become the second MotoGP squad to unveil its new colours after Ducati had its launch last Friday.
