Michael Dunlop's quest to equal Phillip McCallen's record of five wins in a day at the Ulster Grand Prix this week has suffered an🐠 𓆏early setback.

The Ballymoney rider is in agony after a sustaining two slipped discs in his back prior to the Armoy road races in Northern Ieland at the end of July, wher✃e he rode through the pain barrier to win the Suౠpersport, Superbike and Grand Final events.

Dunlop put his back out while💞 he was working on his bikes at home and admits he has a mountain to climb at Dundrod, where a hectic schedule doesn't allow for much respite between races on Saturday.

He was able to steel himself at Armoy, wher🌸e he had the luxury ꦅof significant rest periods between each of the three races he competed in.

However, that won't be the case at the Ulster GP, when the ꧟triple Isle of Man TT winner is due to ride in five events including both Supersport and Superbikes races plus the Superstock class.

An𝔉d Dunlop concedes he could strug𝕴gle to cope with the physical demands of racing at Dundrod as the day progresses.

He said: "I was in a fair bit of pain with my back at Armoy because Iܫ've two slipped discs.

"I've damaged the muscle at the boꦰttom of my💝 back and I could hardly swing my leg over the bike.

"I've been walking around like a duck trying to lay an egg. It happened while I was working on the bikes because I've been lifting heavy engines with one arm and putting the bolts in with the other hand, so that's what caused꧅ it.

"I spoke with a couple of sports injury people and went and saw⛦ the doctor as well and ꦗall I can do is try and rest up and get some physio before the Ulster Grand Prix.

"But I've still a heap of work on to get the 600cc Yamaha built and ready for Dundrod and it doesn't give me much time," Michael൩ added.

"I🌠 don't think I'll be totally fit but we'll be t🐟here to give it a go."

Dunlop is on an incredible run of form, winning 10 races from 11 starts since the Isle of Man TT, where he won the second Supersport race and finished as the runner🃏-up in the Superstock class to John McGuinness.

He believes a clean swee🎀p of the main races at Dundrod is a possibility following his Supersport and Superstock treble in 2011, but his goal of achieving the feat has been made 𝐆significantly more difficult as a result of his untimely back injury.

"At least at Armoy I was able to get a bit of a break betwe⛄en the races but it won't be like that at the Ulster because the races are bang, bang, bang, one after the other," he added.

"We'll just take it as it comes on the day bu🎀t apart from that I'm in good form, I'veꦅ been winning a pile of races and there's no reason why I can't keep doing that at Dundrod.

"Five wins would be nice but I won't be getting carried away 🐲and a lot needs to fall into place for that to happen."