Marc Marquez will skip at least two MotoGP grands prix due to a foot fracture sustained in a crash during the sprint race at Le Mans.

Marquez crashed hard from seventh place at Raccordement during the penultimate lap of the sprint, suffering a big highside - which included a significant hit for his right foot against the asphalt once he was already loose on the bike.

Despite also banging his head on the asphalt, he was quickly up on his feet after the fall - but his return to the paddock hinted at a significant injury, as he needed help to even walk back into his motorhome.

Ducati has now confirmed that a check-up at the circuit medical centre, including an X-ray, has revealed a fifth metatarsal fracture in his right foot.

The team has already been able to confirm that Marquez - who will have surgery in Madrid in the upcoming days - will not only miss Sunday's French Grand Prix but also the Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona in a weekend's time.

The injury could well mark the end of Marquez's hopes of a successful title defence.

He is 51 points down on championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and is certain to drop further back, perhaps considerably so, by the time he returns.

Marquez will naturally not speak to the media after the race on Saturday. Luca Marini, who had seen the replay of his crash, said of the likely cause: "He touched the white line on the left. He went, in my opinion, with the front tyre in the join between the kerb and the white line. For this he had that strange movement.

"That kind of crash you cannot save."

"He lost the front, and then when he got the grip again, suddenly- he was so unlucky," corroborated brother Alex Marquez.