Although Johann Zarco is set to make his return to MotoGP at the Aragon Grand Prix next week, Cal Crutchlow remains a “‘backup’ plan” for LCR Honda.

Zarco has been missing from the MotoGP grid since the Italian Grand Prix in late May.

The French rider, though, is due to come back at Aragon after being cleared to head there, as announced by LCR Honda yesterday.

Zarco has been able to ride a supermoto bike as well as a Honda CBR1000RR-R in preparation for his MotoGP return, but of course he will not have a chance to assess his condition in the specific context of the Honda RC213V until FP1 at Aragon.

The two-time MotoGP race winner will have to undergo a medical check on Thursday at MotorLand in order to be passed fit to ride in FP1 on Friday. It means it is not yet certain if he will be able to complete the weekend.

In the event that Zarco will not be able to ride, LCR has confirmed that Cal Crutchlow will be on standby to step in for Zarco if required.

“[Crutchlow] will be at Aragon as a ‘backup’ plan, in case the team needs him,” LCR Honda has said, as reported by Crash.net.

Crutchlow had replaced Zarco from the Italian Grand Prix after the Frenchman was ruled out through severe knee injuries he picked up in Catalunya.

The British rider scored a best result of 16th in the six race she contested, that position achieved in both Hungary and the Netherlands. He also retired from three of the six races, including a double-DNF at Silverstone.

Crutchlow, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2020, has also been clear throughout his time with LCR since Mugello that his position as fill-in is not a route back to full-time racing, and has stated on multiple occasions that he only stepped in to replace Zarco because it was the LCR team - at which he spent six seasons and won three grands prix - which asked him.