Ducati's Iannone to miss Japanese GP

The Italian crashed during first practice at Misano last month, fracturing the T3 vertebra in his upper back and was ruled out for the balance of the weekend.

He attempted to return at Aragon a fortnight later, but withdrew after riding in pain in the first practice session.

Iannone was aiming to race this weekend, but that has now been postponed to the second of the three-consecutive flyaway races, in Australia a week later.

In a statement, Ducati said that further checks last week "showed that the excess fluid in his back injury had been almost totally absorbed and that the calcification process of the T3 vertebra was now well underway".

However "Iannone's doctor has advised him to continue with his rehabilitation and to wait a few more days until the fracture has completely healed, before going out onto the track once again".

Ducati has elected not to replace Iannone with test rider Michele Pirro at Motegi, and will instead only field Andrea Dovizioso.