PREVIEW: IPSWICH v LEICESTER (ROWE MOTOR OIL PREM)

IPSWICH welcome back Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson for tonight’s (Monday) televised ROWE Motor Oil Premiership encounter with Leicester at Foxhall.

Doyle, who has been struggling with hip injuries, only took two rides in last week’s defeat at King’s Lynn and hasn’t raced at home for the Witches since May 5.

Thompson, meanwhile, has missed their last four league matches with a broken scaphoid, included in which was a 47-43 home defeat on the Lions’ previous visit.

But Leicester’s top scorer from that meeting, Luke Becker, is now ruled out with back injuries, so the visitors will continue to operate rider replacement.

Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It is probably our toughest test around Foxhall of any team we have faced this year. They are a side that go very well.

“We have struggled to cover Dan sufficiently in his absence, and it is an unenviable task for anyone coming in because he was in superb form.

“Jason pulled out of the meeting at King’s Lynn and struggled with the grippy conditions on the day, but he has had another week of rest and recovery, and he knows his body and knows what he can do. It is a massive boost to have him in the side.”

Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “Ipswich will be gearing up for Leicester because they know we won there last time.

“Obviously we’re missing our top scorer from that meeting, but rider replacement is serving us well and we go there full of hope.

“It’s a free hit, so we’ll see how we get on, we want to take it and see what happens.”

IPSWICH: Emil Sayfutdinov, Danny King, Adam Ellis, Tom Brennan, Jason Doyle, Dan Thompson, Jordan Jenkins.
LEICESTER: Max Fricke, Luke Becker r/r, Ryan Douglas, Kyle Howarth, Sam Masters, Drew Kemp, Joe Thompson.

SCB Referee: Wayne Jarvis