🌳Marco Melandri will require an operation to the meniscus on his right leg after sustaining an injury in a charity football match, but is expected to be fully fit in time for the start of the 2017 pre-season tests in January.

The Italian, who completed his final 2016 winter tests with Aruba.it Racing Ducati last week 💧at Jerez, picked up the injury while walking on the football pitch when he stumbled and fell on his right le🎉g.

Meland💟ri was playing in a charity football match in memory of former 125cc a♏nd 250cc Grand Prix race winner Doriano Romboni, who died on 30th November 2013 in a crash during the second running of 'Sic day' which is a race in honour of Marco Simoncelli.

The 34-year-old is set to undergo an operation on Wednesday 30th November and is expected to be fully fit for the January winter tests in prepar♌ation for the 2017 season.

Melandri is set to make his World Superbike comeback in 2017 with th🐻e factory Ducati squad alongside Chaz Davies after replacing BSB-bound Davide Giugliano. The former 250cc world champion last competed in World Superbike for Aprilia in 2014 o💮n his way to fourth in the riders' standings having claimed six race wins that year.

Melandri joins former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden on the sidel💫ines after the Ten Kate Honda rider requ♈ired an operation on an injured knee suffered in a flat-track accident.