Schwarz ruled out of Sweden

Schwarz, who will be replaced on the Swedish Rally by Finnish driver Jani Paasonen, dislocated his left shoulder in an accident on the second leg of the Monte when he clipped an inside wall and rolled off the road and down a small drop.

Schwarz believed that he had found a solution to regain his fitness in time for the event, and reported that he had no pain from the injury. But it is believed that his shoulder needs more time to heal properly following consultation with the FIA's medical delegate, who decided that the doctor's initial prediction of a six-week recovery period should be upheld.

"Naturally we are all disappointed for Armin but we said in Monte Carlo that we would be guided by the medical staff over when he was fully fit to drive in competition again," said Skoda Motorsport's Martin Muehlmeier. "It would be wrong to risk further damage so soon after the accident.

"I am confident that Jani will do a good job for us in Sweden and that Armin will be fully fit in time to return to the wheel in Mexico."

Paasonen, whose 2005 Skoda programme includes the Mexico and New Zealand rallies and who scored the Fabia's highest finish of sixth place in Finland last year, will not be eligible for manufacturer's points having never competed on snow at the top level. Instead that duty will befall team-mates Janne Tuohino and DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom.