David Checa to replace Elias at Mugello.

The Fortuna Yamaha Team have revealed that David Checa, younger brother of Ducati Marlboro rider Carlos, will replace the injured Toni Elias at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

Elias is undergoing a five-week recovery after sustaining a broken left wrist and fibula during a testing accident at Le Mans, ruling the impressive MotoGP rookie out of this weekend's race.

However, Elias' absence will now allow Checa to make his premier-class debut, alongside fellow Spaniard Ruben Xaus, on a Tech 3 run YZR-M1. Xaus and Checa are already friends and often train together on Supermoto machines.

Checa is a reigning World Endurance champion for Yamaha, with whom he won this year's 24 Hours at Le Mans and was a WSBK wild-card at Valencia (top pic).

The 25-year-old also spent three-years racing in 250 GPs, with a best finish of sixth, before switching to Endurance racing in 2002.

Given the length of Elias's expected recovery time - and with the Catalan Grand Prix just one week after Mugello, and the Dutch TT in turn two weeks after that - it is presumed that Checa will ride for Herve Poncharal's team in at least two of those three events.