John McPhee’s planned recovery took a setback this week as the Scot is forced to miss the Moto3 Argentina GP.

Two weeks on from his training crash that left the Sterilgarda Husqvarna rider with two fractured vertebrae, McPhee has undergone intense physiotherapy in a bid to be back in action at the Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina at the start of April. Unfortunately the injury has yet to weld, with the 27-year-old forced to sit out on the MotoGP Championship’s long-awaited return to South America.

Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, in Texas, USA, is the next on the Max Racing rider’s hit list, a week later that its southern partner, scheduled for the 8th-10th April.

“I worked every day with my physiotherapist, with the aim of returning for the Argentine Grand Prix,” McPhee explained. “Unfortunately after a thorough examination, the doctors informed me that the fracture needs more time, before it can be welded.

“We return to work with the intention of recovering for the Grand Prix that will take place in Texas the following weekend. I’m very sorry I can’t race in Argentina, because I really love that track. I can’t wait to get back to Texas even harder.”