Castrol Honda have wheeled in former MotoGP racer Makoto Tamada to partner the returning Jonathan Rea for this weekend's Nurburgring World Superbike round as the Irishman makes his comeback to the series.

Rea has had a long lay off with injury then surgery but after a test at Assen which caused him little discomfort and at which he achieved a pleasing laptime, he feels he is ready to come back to action. Tamada (34)replaces the still-crocked Ruben Xaus.

"I can’t wait to get back on the bike in a race weekend situation at Nurburgring. The test at Assen last week was great for me to ride and work with the team again, but I’m really looking forward to doing it for real again this weekend," said the young Irishman.

"Assen was also good from a confidence point of view, because the lap time was pretty good and I was able to complete a lot of laps without any pain from the wrist. Unfortunately, I’ve missed a few races because of the injury, but I’ve got a new target for the end of the season and I know what I need to do to achieve that.

"The good thing is that the guys have been working really hard back at base since I’ve been away, and there were some good new things to test last week. I’m really looking forward to using them this weekend."

Tamada said: "It's great to be back racing in the World Superbike series. I want to thank Castrol Honda for giving me this opportunity. I am looking forward to working with the team and Jonathan, and I’m also looking forward to meeting my European fans."