By Julian Shea

Rossi hurt his hand after a fall in practice at Assen last week

Camel Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi says he is facing an uphill struggle to try and retain his MotoGP title.

Rossi is fourth behind Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa and Loris Capirossi and races at Sunday's British GP with a fractured wrist.

"I'm 46 points behind and Nicky's very consistent, so it'll be hard," he said. "I've been unlucky this season, so we hope to have a good second half.

"But it's not over yet - 46 points is a lot, but nine races is a lot, too."

This season Rossi, who is seeking an unprecedented sixth consecutive MotoGP world crown, finds himself in the unfamiliar position of being in the chase for the title, rather than leading it.

Hayden was briefly a team-mate of Rossi's when the Italian was at Honda.

Donington is a great track for me, a magic place, and Yamaha usually does well here Valentino Rossi

And while Hayden has managed to open up a 44-point gap to Pedrosa, he has only won one race.

Rossi has won three, including two of the last three.

Hayden's sole win came last weekend at Assen, where Rossi's efforts were hampered by ankle and wrist injuries suffered in a heavy fall in practice.

But Rossi still finished eighth, and he says a week after the crash he can do much better.

"There is a small fracture and some pain in my ankle but there is no movement problem. But I do have some pain in my fractured wrist," he said.

"But I'm confident about Donington, because although I'm not 100% I was still able to come eighth in Assen when the injury situation was a lot worse.

Honda's Hayden took his first victory of the season at Assen

"I'm not at the maximum because I have a pain on my bone, and it will take about 20 days from the fracture for it to go, but my feeling is that the treatment has worked well."

Donington is one of Rossi's favourite tracks - living in Britain, he regards it as a second home race, and it is also somewhere he has enjoyed huge success over the years.

So if there is anywhere to lift his spirits after injury, this is it.

"Donington's a great track for me, a magic place, and Yamaha usually does well here," he said.

"So when you're not 100%, it's a help to come to this type of track."

Rossi has certainly had his fair share of bad luck this season.

I have had all types of bad luck this season, including the crash at Assen when the season was going so well for us Valentino Rossi

Having been bumped off the track on the first lap of the first race in Jerez, he had technical problems in France and China, and was troubled by handling problems for much of the first half of the season.

So Yamaha will probably feel that their star rider is due a change of fortune soon.

Hayden may be the most consistent performer this season, but Rossi's lucky number, which he has worn to so much success over the years, is 46.

And 46 just happens to be the number of points by which the champion trails the challenge at the mid-point of the season.

"I have had all types of bad luck this season, including the crash at Assen when the season was going so well for us, but there are still nine races to go," said Rossi.