John Kennard, longtime co-driver to Hyundai Motorsport’s Hayden Paddon, will miss next week’s Vodafone Rally de Portugal (18 - 21 May) through injury.

Kennard (above left) aggravated an existing hip condition at last month’s YPF Rally Argentina and doctors have advised him to stand down for the gravel road encounter, round six of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Seb Marshall will replace Kennard. The Briton will become Paddon’s permanent partner when Kennard retires following July’s Neste Rally Finland.

Paddon and Marshall competed together for the first time at Rallye Sanremo in Italy last month (below). They finished second in a Hyundai i20 R5 as a warm-up for the following weekend’s WRC round in Corsica.

Despite sitting out the rally, Kennard will be in Portugal to support Paddon and team-mates Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo.

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