"A scan this week revealed that Chris is suffering from an inflamed sacroiliac joint. We are monitoring him as a team but unfortunately the injury means he will not be able to take part in the race this weekend," Team Sky doctor Alan Farrell explained.

Froome, who won the Tour de France in July, abandoned last Sunday's world championship road race in soaking conditions along with his seven British team mates.

The Tour of Lombardy is the World Tour's (elite) penultimate race of the season.

Froome leads the WorldTour rankings with an 80-point advantage over Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez who finished 2nd in last week's world championship in Florence.