LEICESTER have been hit by a double injury blow ahead of their SGB Premiership showdown with Poole at Beaumont Park tonight (Saturday 7.30pm).
Recent signing Jason Garrity has been ruled out of the match as he suffered a hand injury in a crash at Redcar on Thursday.
And to add to the Lions’ problems, reserve Danny Ayres is also forced to miss the clash with the Pirates as he is still suffering from recent crashes, including Monday’s collision with Ellis Perks in the narrow defeat against Rye House.
The setbacks have forced Lions bosses into a re-structure of their line-up having already made plans to cover the absences of Erik Riss and Josh Bates due to World Under-21 Team Cup duty.
In-form Somerset skipper Josh Grajczonek will guest for Garrity with the rider-replacement facility now in operation for Riss – whose brother Mark Riss remains as the stand-in for Bates, with Belle Vue youngster Jack Smith coming in for Ayres.
Club owner Damien Bates said: “We had the team all sorted only for the injuries to happen, and it took all day Friday and into late last night to find riders.
“If we didn’t have bad luck we wouldn’t have any, but we thank the boys who are coming in and they’ll be giving it their very best tonight.
“Getting a positive result from this meeting would be such a boost and I hope the fans will get right behind the team.”
Poole are led by former Grand Prix star Hans Andersen and hand a debut to Polish ace Grzegorz Zengota, who has impressed on his previous visits to Beaumont Park.
They also have former Lions skipper Nicolai Klindt as a potential trump card as the Dane continues to occupy a reserve berth for the Dorset side.
LEICESTER: Kim Nilsson, Erik Riss R/R, Lasse Bjerre, Josh Grajczonek, Danny King, Mark Riss, Jack Smith.
POOLE: Grzegorz Zengota, Jack Holder R/R, Kyle Newman, Rory Schlein, Hans Andersen, Nicolai Klindt, James Shanes.
