Back in August, five-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar crashed out of the Vuelta a Espana whilst leading the race and suffered a neck fracture, which reportedly ruled him out for the rest of the season.
The injury denied the Slovenian a chance to claim a debut Vuelta win, and additionally cut short his attempts to win the World Championships for the third year in a row.
The 27-year-old was expected to miss several months whilst recovering from the crash, however earlier this week he uploaded a photo to social media showing himself back on the saddle wearing his UAE Team Emirates-XRG colours.
Given that the upcoming European Championships will take place in his home country of Slovenia, his post ignited rumours of a potential rapid recovery and an ambitious return for the event in Ljubljana.
Will Tadej Pogacar race at the European Championships?
Despite recent rumours about a miraculous recovery from his recent injury, and suggestions of a stunning European Championships appearance, Pogacar looks set to miss out on the race in his home country.
Slovenia have announced their eight-man team for the European Championships, and Pogacar is not amongst the names selected for the race.
Speaking to La Gazzetta, UAE Team Emirates XRG team principal squashed the rumours of a potential return, despite Pogacar's obvious desperation to race:
"His will to be there it's easy to understand, but it's too early, health is priority so it won't happen"
UAE Team Emirates XRG Team Principal Mauro Gianetti, La Gazzetta.
When is Tadej Pogacar expected to return from injury?
Given that Pogacar required surgery after his neck fracture at the Vuelta, it's fair to assume the Slovenian still requires plenty of recovery time before returning to race action.
A broken collarbone usually requires at least six weeks recovery time, however it can be months before the average adult regains complete mobility and strength.
It is just over a month since Pogacar suffered the injury and the initial estimate was that he would miss the entirety of 2026 whilst recovering.
The final monument of the season, Il Lombardia, takes place in under two weeks and fans are already speculating about Pogacar's possible presence in Italy.
There is no word yet on whether the 27-year-old will race in Italy; however, given his initial suggested recovery time, it looks likely that the Slovenian star will miss out again.
