Schumacher expects to make Monza despite shoulder operation

A televised celebrity jet-ski event in Duisburg has left Ralf Schumacher preparing for Monza with his right arm in a sling.

The six-time Grand Prix winner and television presenter Stefan Raab fell into the water during the team competition, with Schumacher dislocating his shoulder.

The shoulder was put back into place at the venue, but an X-ray and subsequent MRI scan revealed that a small fragment of bone had also broken away. That discovery led doctors to recommend an operation in Austria on Monday.

Bild reported that a full recovery is expected to take five or six months, although Schumacher does not believe the injury will interrupt his work as a pundit for Sky Deutschland.

The operation will be over quickly and then I should be back in Monza as well, he said. I only have to hold my microphone with my left hand!

Schumacher planned to remain in hospital overnight after the procedure and travel to Italy on Thursday. Whether the timetable changes will depend on the outcome of the operation, but his television role is plainly less demanding on the shoulder than driving a racing car.

He also made clear that he did not blame the organisers for the accident and said he would take part again if the event is repeated.

It is an unusual route to an Italian Grand Prix appearance, although Schumacher has had rather faster journeys in Monza. He raced there 11 times in Formula 1 and finished second for Williams in 1999.