WRC: Citroen drop Kris Meeke for Rally Poland

Kris Meeke has struggled to complete rounds of the WRC this season

Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke has been dropped by Citroen for the next round of the World Rally Championship in Poland from 29 June to 2 July.

The Dungannon driver has scored points in just two of the seven rallies this year, including a win in Mexico.

Meeke, 37, will be replaced by ex-Volkswagen driver Andreas Mikkelsen.

"After a series of disappointing results, we have asked Kris Meeke to take a step back," said Citroen Team Principal Yves Matton.

"Kris accepted that this would be in the best interests of the team. This break will give him a chance to recharge his batteries and release some of the pressure before Rally Finland."

Meeke, along with co-driver Paul Nagle, will return to pilot the C3 for the following event in Finland, a rally which the duo dominated in 2016.

Aside from his dramatic win in Mexico and an engine failure while leading in Corsica, Meeke has crashed out in every other event this year.

He returned after an early crash to score two Powerstage points in Sweden and he currently lies 10th in the standings, 114 points behind leader Sebastian Ogier.

Norwegian driver Mikkelsen, who won Rally Poland last year, was left without a drive after Volkswagen pulled their WRC programme at the end of last season, returning to deputise for Meeke's team mate Stephane Lefebvre in Rally Sardinia.