By Keith Hamer

Richard Johnson will miss the start of 2018 after he suffered a fall at Wetherby on Boxing Day.

The champion jockey cannot return until Tuesday at the earliest and will have to undergo a concussion test before he is allowed to resume race-riding.

"If you get concussion you are off for a mandatory seven days, which means Tuesday is the earliest I can return unfortunately," he told his Betway blog.

"It's really frustrating to be missing out on Newbury on Saturday and Cheltenham on New Year's Day, especially as I feel absolutely fine.

"I understand that safety has to come first, though, so I just have to sit and suffer.

"The earliest I can do the baseline test is Monday, so I might be riding at either Ffos Las or Ayr on Tuesday.

"It's not a time of year you want to be off, but it could be a lot worse."