Jack Miller pulls out of Austin MotoGP after practice crash

The Australian missed the start of pre-season testing after injuring his right leg in a motocross crash in January.

He returned for the second test at Phillip Island, and contested the first two races of the year as movement in his right ankle improved.

However, in a highside crash at Turn 18 during Friday's first practice session for the Grand Prix of the Americas, Miller landed heavily on the leg again.

While he was initially cleared of any broken bones in his right foot, a subsequent x-ray on Saturday morning revealed a broken fifth metatarsal.

Miller reported that his bigger issue was landing on his already injured right ankle - and that the plate holding the joint together may have moved - with swelling and pain increasing overnight.

After limited running in Saturday's two practice sessions, Miller elected to pull out of the weekend and instead turn his focus for being fit for the first European race at Jerez in a fortnight.

"This is a really physically demanding track and with every lap the pain just got worse so in the interests of safety it is better to give this race a miss," he said.

"We tried all the options with physiotherapy and a pain killing injection for FP4 but it didn't work.

"I'm sorry for the team but this is racing and now I just want to be fit for the next race in Jerez.

"It's unlucky but I've learnt a lesson from pushing too hard on a cold tyre in practice.

"The most pain is coming from my ankle, one of the screws in the plates from the earlier injury maybe moved a little bit when my foot hit the track."