Joan Mir suffered fractures and bone fragments in his right ankle when he highsided on Lap 1 of the Austrian MotoGP.
The Suzuki Ecstar rider was up two spots from where he qualified to be running sixth when he was thrown from his GSX-RR at Turn 4 of the Red Bull Ring.
It will take further scans, including an MRI, on Monday (European time) to determine if Mir has suffered ligament damage.
“I made a good start,” recounted the 2020 world champion.
“I was able to gain some positions and put myself in the front group, but then at Turn 4 I lost the rear on corner entry and I suffered a very big crash.
“I feel lucky because it could’ve been a lot worse, it was a scary one.
“At the moment the checks show some fractures and fragments around my talus bone – the fracture doesn’t look big but the fragments could be a problem.
“Tomorrow, I’ll go for some further tests, such as an MRI scan to check the ligament situation.
“After that, I should know more about my recovery time and I can plan my comeback.”
Team Manager Livio Suppo said, “Unfortunately, Joan crashed and this time it was a very big one.
“Considering the force of the fall, Joan is feeling lucky, and we are also really glad and thankful that his injuries weren’t more severe.
“Let’s see what the checks show in the next days; we wish him all the best for a quick recovery.
“Alex rode a good race and even though the final position wasn’t excellent, he showed nice pace on a track that he has struggled at in the past.”
Mir has a week-and-a-half to be fit for the next round, given the San Marino Grand Prix takes place at Misano on September 2-4.
He is currently 12th in the championship, four spots behind Rins, who is off to ride a Honda at LCR at season’s end, when Suzuki’s MotoGP operation is shuttered.
Mir is tipped to end up at the factory Repsol Honda Team, although no deal has yet been confirmed.