LEICESTER have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of tonight’s home test against runaway league leaders Ipswich.
Australian Ryan Douglas is ruled out of the clash after crashing and injuring a hand in Sweden on Tuesday night.
Despite treatment the injury has not responded sufficiently and the Lions will operate rider replacement against the Witches with Lions Cub and Edinburgh racer Max James added to the line-up as additional rider.
The Lions are currently outside the final play-off place, four points adrift of Oxford but with two meetings in hand on the Spires, who entertain Belle Vue tonight.
Ipswich have already won twice in the east Midlands this season and semi-permanent stand-in for Jason Doyle, Scott Nicholls, once again guests for the visitors.
Nicholls led Leicester to the Championship title in 2019 but the Witches are without another silverware gathering ex-Lion Dan Thompson who dislocated his shoulder riding for Great Britain in SoN2.
They will also operate rider-replacement with in-form reserve Keynan Rew expected to figure prominently and Berwick’s teenage reserve Freddy Hodder once again wearing the number eight race jacket as Ipswich’s additional rider.
Lions’ skipper Max Fricke has been in sensational form at home since mid-April and there were welcome race wins for American Luke Becker in the victory over Sheffield last team out.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “We need to get the monkey off our backs against Ipswich – we need to beat them.
“We will need all of our riders to be firing. We have scored 54 and 53 in our last two home meetings so I think we can say we go into the meeting in decent form.
“I wouldn’t say brilliant, but it’s decent and any sort of win is the target.”
Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins added: “The initial thoughts were that Dan's injury is not too severe, and the dislocated shoulder went straight back in.
“However, Thursday proved too soon to return and after visiting the GB physio, he plans to rest and recover this week.
“We have had great success at Leicester in the last couple of years, some of them down to superb performances from Dan. Missing him is a blow but the form the rest of boys have been in will give us a chance anywhere.
“We go there with great confidence with so many recent victories there.
Leicester: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Craig Cook, Sam Hagon.
Ipswich: Scott Nicholls, Dan Thompson R/R, Danny King, Adam Ellis, Emil Sayfutdinov, Keynan Rew, Jordan Jenkins, Freddy Hodder (A/R).
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.