Speedway: Sheffield confirm Tai Woffinden injury blow as Troy Batchelor drafted in as guest at Leicester

The Tru7 Group Tigers number five has confirmed his elbow has shattered into four pieces and whilst an exact time frame is still yet to be determined, it is anticipated it will be a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to the serious nature of his injuries. It means he will miss Sheffield’s away clash with Leicester tomorrow in the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership, at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena, while the team’s number one, Jack Holder, is facing a late fitness test before his involvement in the meeting is confirmed.

With Woffinden out, boss Simon Stead is bringing former Grand Prix rider Troy Batchelor in as a guest. Batchelor spent a season at Owlerton in 2021, and also had a spell at Leicester last season.

Get Sheffield’s biggest stories as they’re happening - sign up for the new breaking newsletter Holder is understood to still be feeling stiff and sore after his own crash in the Grand Prix of Poland, the same meeting in which Woffinden was injured, and will decide if he can ride on Thursday morning.

Both Holder and Woffinden missed Monday’s defeat at Oxford.

Thursday’s meeting is Leicester’s first home meeting in a month. Last time the clubs met in Leicester, Sheffield won 46-44 after a last heat decider was won 5-1 by Sheffield.

Chris Holder, Sheffield’s top scorer against Oxford on Monday, feels all the pressure and expectation will be with their opponents, with Tigers missing Woffinden at least.

He said: “Leicester are a solid team and they need the points. We’re going to be missing at least one of our boys with Woffy out injured but if we can go there and put up a similar fight to what we did at Oxford, we’ll be happy enough.

“We go there with nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

The meeting will be streamed online for £12.99 via: https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk/

Leicester: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Craig Cook, Sam Hagon.

Sheffield: Jack Holder (if fit), Troy Batchelor, Josh Pickering, Kyle Howarth, Chris Holder, Jason Edwards, Dan Gilkes.