Workington’s in-form Troy Batchelor is back in the Premiership tonight with a guest appearance for leaders Ipswich.
The Witches have suffered a major injury crisis with three of their top four riders missing from the line-up for the trip to Birmingham.
With skipper Danny King (hand) still on the sidelines, the Witches lost Jason Doyle with rib and shoulder injuries in a crash at King’s Lynn on Thursday before Adam Ellis, who was to captain the team at Perry Barr, suffered a dislocated shoulder in France on Sunday.
Batchelor, who has been scoring well for the Comets in the Championship, comes in along with a former Workington rider Nicolai Klindt as guests with rider replacement in operation for Doyle.
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins, himself a former Workington rider, said: “We are buzzing with our form and are in great spirits, but we are going to be missing Jason, Danny and Adam which is a big blow to us.
“It is the first time we have been there for a long time, but we have faced a lot of challenges already this season and have taken them in our stride.
“We will continue to do that on Monday, and even though we are depleted we are looking to get another victory and carry on this superb run we are on at the top of the league.”
Workington’s exciting young Australian rider Tate Zischke should have made his first guest appearance on Friday for Redcar Bears against Glasgow but the meeting was rained off.
