Skipper Stuart Robson is still recovering from the injuries he sustained in an opening night crash and will miss Redcar Bears’ Easter clashes with Sheffield Tigers.
The Ecco Finishing Bears visit South Yorkshire in the Premier League Cup tonight (7.30pm) before hosting the return leg at the Media Prima Arena tomorrow (7.30pm).
But they’ll have to do so without winter signing Robson who shed a chain and crashed heavily early on in last week’s 56-36 A66 Trophy defeat by Workington.
Robbo was left concussed and with heavy bruising to his left arm and leg.
“Fortunately there were no broken bones but he was really knocked about,” said team manager Jitendra Duffill.
“So it looks as though we’ll be without him for a week or two, which is a shame.
“There’s no point in rushing him though. If a rider comes back too soon he won’t be 100% and it’s not good for him.
“It’s a long season ahead and Robbo has to think of his own health.
“He needs to be right before he comes back.”
Robson was already ruled out of tomorrow’s home match as Elite League Coventry are riding and they have first call on him.
So Ludvig Lindgren of Newcastle had already been booked as a guest replacement, while tonight the Bears will use rider replacement.
The Bears go into tonight’s meeting with just one warm-up under their belts after Staurday’s return match at Workington was rained off.
And though in addition to Robson’s crash they hat to put up with Jan Graversen blowing his first choice engine and Hugh Skidmore battling tonsillitis, they’ll have to do much better if they are to get anything out of either clash against Sheffield.
“It was a poor performance,” conceded Duffill. “Lasse Bjerre and Matej Kus were outstanding and if they keep that form up all season we’ll have a good top two.
“Rafal Konopka did his job too but although you can’t be too hard on them because it was only the first meeting, we are going to have to do better than that.
“It’s going to be tough. Sheffield are a good side and I think it’s going to take us a few weeks to get going.
“I’d expect us to do better that we did last week, but I think we’re going to have to be patient.
“You’d have to say that Sheffield will start as favourites in both matches.”
The Tigers are lead by Simon Stead who has started the season in outstanding form.
He romped to a paid maximum in last Thursday’s convincing 57-35 League Cup win over Scunthorpe and his only defeat in the previous Sunday’s Ricky Ashworth Benefit Meeting was against Grand Prix star Niels-Kristian Iversen.
They also have a potential trump card at reserve in Josh Bates, while Redcar fans know all about former Bears Rider of the Year Ty Proctor.
TIGERS: Josh Bates, David Bellego, Ashley Birks, Andre Compton, Ty Proctor, Arthur Sissis, Simon Stead.
BEARS: Lasse Bjerre, Jan Graversen, Rafal Konopka, Ben Morley, Matej Kus, Hugh Skidmore, R/R for Stuart Robson.
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