Jorge Lorenzo will miss next weekend's Malaysian MotoGP after sustaining an injury to his fourth finger on his left hand.
The 2010 MotoGP champion underwent a successful operation in Melbourne to repair the damage which occurred during a crash in the warm-up for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
"Surgery to repair damage to Jorge Lorenzo's finger in Melbourne this evening has been successful," Yamaha said in a statement. "The surgeon was able to save the nerves and tendons of the injured fourth finger, as a result no functionality will be lost in either the finger or the hand.
"Unfortunately, an extended recovery time will be required so Jorge will not race in Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix. A decision on the Valencia Grand Prix will be made dependent on Jorge's condition after his return to Barcelona."
The news almost certainly means that Lorenzo will have to sit out the all-important post-Malaysian GP Sepang test where Yamaha intends to run its new 2012-spec 1000cc contender.