Image: Octopi Media.

While it was originally thought that Zach Osborne would be fit for action at Daytona, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider has announced he won’t be lining up Saturday due to a lingering back injury he suffered at the test track prior to Orlando 2.

After the reigning AMA Pro Motocross champion recently stated he was dealing with a bulging disc in his lumbar spine, he took to Instagram on Thursday to provide an update on his status.

“Unfortunately, I am going to be sitting out this weekend in Daytona,” Osborne explained, “due to my back issue that occurred the week before Orlando 2. I’ve undergone some treatment this week and I feel that I’m on a good path to recovery as well as eliminating this from happening in the future.”

Osborne seemed to be picking up momentum in the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross championship, notching his first podium of the year at Orlando 1, just days before his injury, and currently sits seventh in the points standings.

It’s unclear exactly when he will return, but with the week off between Orlando 2 and Daytona, he’ll have had three full weeks to recover leading up to the first of three rounds in Dallas on 16 March.