DOUGLAS BLOW FOR SCORPIONS

SCUNTHORPE have been hit by the loss of No.1 Ryan Douglas for tonight’s (Friday) Championship League Pairs at Oxford.

James Wright steps in to partner Simon Lambert with Douglas ruled out by a shoulder injury after crashing in Poland last weekend.

Promoter Rob Godfrey said: “Both Ryan and ourselves were up for the Pairs. We felt we had a good chance of progressing to the semis and beyond, and we were up for it.

“But he came off in Poland last weekend and aggravated his shoulder injury, which was giving him so much trouble early in the season. He rode at Wolverhampton on Monday, when he probably shouldn’t have, and that didn’t do him favours. It surprised me he did that meeting, but then I noticed he hadn’t taken a rider replacement ride.

“We felt if we left it a few days, he would be okay for the Pairs, which is why we left his withdrawal as late as possible, because we thought he might make it.

“But, as with earlier in the season, Ryan is going to have to take a week off to let his shoulder heal.

“It’s a real shame that Ryan will be missing at Oxford, since he’s one of the top riders in the league. I apologise to both our supporters and those from other tracks, but if he could have ridden, he would have.”