Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow has been ruled out of next weekend’s Argentinian MotoGP round and will be replaced by test rider Michele Pirro.

After undergoing double surgery to pin the finger he broke at Austin, and a combining a scheduled operation have his right forearm opened up to fix the arm-pump has has been suffering following his crashes at Silverstone last year, he had hoped to compete at the Termas de Rio Hondo track.

Continuing intense pain in his right hand, which prevents him from using the front brake correctly, has forced him to abandon. Crutchlow will now return to England to continue treatment and try and get ready for the Jerez race.

“I am very sad to let the team down like this because I was really looking forward to racing in Argentina. On the Tuesday after Austin I had some scans on my hand and we saw that my finger was still dislocated from the crash and also broken so Dr. Chao decided to put a pin in to stabilize it,” he said.

“Unfortunately I’m still feeling too much pain in my right hand, my knuckles are the most painful part and I’m not in condition to race this weekend.”