Elfyn Evans will miss the next round of the FIA World Rally Championship as he continues to recover from a back injury sustained earlier this month.

The M-Sport Ford driver was unable to start Neste Rally Finland after hurting his back in a heavy landing at July’s Shell Helix Rally Estonia preparation event.

Doctors have been monitoring the Welshman’s progress and decided that a return on Germany’s asphalt roads is not possible next weekend.

Sitting fourth in the World Rally Championship standings, Evans will now focus on making a full and swift recovery to continue what has been a strong performance from him and co-driver Scott Martin so far this season.

“It’s very frustrating to be missing rallies at such a critical point in the season, but I need to ensure the injury heals properly,” said 30 year-old Evans.

“As tempting as it would be to ‘just get on with it,’ and come back, the reality is that I need more time so that when I do return, I’m returning at full strength with no compromises.

“I feel me and Scott had a solid start to the season, and I’m doing everything I can to aid the process and be back as soon as possible to build on what we started during the first half of the season.”

Once again, Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson will stand in for Evans, who is from Dolgellau, and co-driver Scott Martin.

The German fixture will mark the young Brits’ third outing with the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC – and their first on asphalt.

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said: “Elfyn is understandably frustrated not to be back in action in Germany – especially at such a critical point in the season.

“We all know what he would have been capable of here, but his health is the most important factor and we need to ensure that he has fully recovered and 100 percent fit before getting back behind the wheel.

“He’s doing everything he can to aid the healing process, and we hope to have him back in time for Turkey.

“Gus made a positive debut with the top-specification Fiesta on gravel, and we were keen to give him the same opportunity on asphalt. We’ve been working with him for a number of years now, and I know that he and Elliott will make the most of the experience.

“They impressed everyone at Rallye Monte-Carlo this year, and I think we could see great progress from them on this surface.”

Gus Greensmith said: “Like everyone else, I was hoping Elfyn would be back for this one. I feel really sorry for him, but it’s important that he makes a full recovery. I’m proud that Malcolm and Rich trust me to fill the seat again – it’s another huge opportunity and I want to say thank you to them and the team.

“There’s no denying that asphalt is my preferred surface, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can do with the Ford Fiesta WRC out in Germany.

“It’s an event where I have a lot of experience and Elfyn has already proven how competitive the car is on this surface. I also won my last rally on Tarmac, and think I’ll be able to get a lot closer to the top guys.

“I’ll share a three-day test with Teemu next week to get used to the car on Tarmac, and I plan to make the most of every kilometre. Malcolm and Rich were happy with the approach I took into Rally Finland, and I plan to do the same in Germany – building our speed with every stage.”