The Italian spent a night in hospital after injuring his stomach and chest when he went over the handlebars on the landing of a jump.
The Yamaha rider was passed fit tests to ride on friday, and that to make sure that he don’t have any pain or breathing difficulties.
“I was in Cavallara, which is one of my favourite motocross tracks,” Rossi said of his accident. “Unfortunately on the landing of a jump, I landed one-metre outside of the track where the ground was soft. So when I landed the bike stopped and I went over the front, and took the handlebar to my stomach and also a big hit to the ground.
“It was a bad crash. Very painful. Especially in the stomach and all the front. I stayed one night in hospital because it was difficult to breathe, but also when I came home I had two or three days that were very painful, But after two days ago the situation improved a lot and especially I start to breathe in a better way. Now we have just to wait and see what happens when I ride the M1 in the race.
“Yesterday I tried a motorcycle, the TMax and after the R6. I feel good on the seat and can move without a lot of pain so I’m quite optimistic, but the stress is not comparable to MotoGP bike.
“For riding the motorcycle I think two things will be most difficult, First My movement on the seat for change direction, which here in Mugello is quite severe and Second when you push hard you need to breathe longer and I still have some pain. These are the parts I need to understand.
Rossi, who has his own dirt track circuit (no jumps) at the Ranch in Tavullia, also admitted that the scare could well mean the end of his motocross ‘career’.
“I always ride motocross, also after 2010 [when he was injured on a motocross bike], because I like it. I enjoy it a lot and I think it’s the best training, physically and mentally. But I think that after this crash my Motocross career is maybe over!” Rossi smiled.
“I feel lucky because sincerely, with that crash, it’s very easy to break something and stay at home for the most important races in the season. So for me it is great to be here.
Rossi starts this weekend having dropped from first to third in the world championship, due to his last lap fall while fighting for victory at Le Mans.
The Doctor (or perhaps ‘The Patient’), whose engine failed in last year’s home race, is 23-points from team-mate Maverick Vinales and six behind Dani Pedrosa.
One thing Rossi can be certain of is deafening support from the notoriously passionate Italian fans packing the hillsides.
“In Mugello the atmosphere is always special, for me and for all the Italian riders, because the fans are very ‘hot’ and very close to the track,” Rossi said. “It helps everybody to give the maximum because you feel the noise.”