Dani Pedrosa will miss this Sunday’s race at Motegi after fracturing his left collarbone, during the opening practice session of the Grand Prix of Japan on Friday.

The Repsol Honda rider had completed just two laps when he came off his RC212V machine and suffered a triple-segment fracture to his left clavicle. The 25 year-old limped off the side of the track after just five minutes of FP1 and appeared to have injured his left ankle as well, but X-rays confirmed he sustained no fractures and just bruising to the joint.

“When he crashed he suffered a multiple fracture of the left collarbone, and that requires an operation to have the best chance of returning to racing as soon as possible,” explained Michele Macchiagodena, MotoGP Medical Director. “But not for this race, of course.”

Macchiagodena said of a possible date for Pedrosa’s return to action: “First we need to know when he can be operated on, then we will know when he can race again. We will see him in Australia.”

“We X-rayed the ankle as well and it is okay. He had old fractures but nothing new, just a small contusion.”