Edinburgh Monarchs skipper Sam Masters takes over as captain for injury-hit Wolverhampton Wolves as they bid to lift the SGB Premiership Knockout Cup.
Rory Schlein and Kyle Howarth have joined Freddie Lindgren and Jacob Thorssell on the injury list and will miss Tuesday’s first-leg against Belle Vue at Monmore and the return in Manchester 24-hours later.
The duo crashed in the Championship Pairs at Sheffield on Sunday. Schlein has a wrist problem and won’t race again this season and Howarth needs a week off with bad bruising of the lower back.
Scott Nicholls is joined by former Wolves favourite Ricky Wells, an Edinburgh Monarchs rider, and Nick Morris of Berwick Bandits in Wolves side for the first leg.
Aces operate rider replacement for ex-Monarchs racer Max Fricke, who was hurt in the Grand Prix at Torun in Poland last weekend.
Wolves team boss Peter Adams said: “We know the size of the task but to have four of our top five now missing makes it extremely hard.
“Sam Masters will take up the captaincy and I have no doubt he will do a good job for us and the reserves will need to contribute.”
Aces skipper Craig Cook, another former Edinburgh rider, said: “It’s our last two meetings of the season and we’re determined to make them count.
“We want to bring at least one trophy back to Manchester this year and now is the perfect opportunity.
“Wolverhampton are seriously depleted and we are without Max. On paper, we should be able to go to Monmore and make a decent impression ahead of the home leg.”
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