PANTHERS have been dealt a blow as they go into tonight's Craven Shield match at Reading (7.30pm) without skipper Hans Andersen and German international Christian Hefenbrock.
The city side take on Reading and Lakeside with any remote chance of qualifying seeming to have disappeared with the news Andersen will be riding in Prague instead.
Adam Roynon of Rye House comes in as a replacement and can not be expected to produce anywhere near the double figure return Andersen would have virtually guaranteed.
Andersen had been booked to ride in the Lubos Tomicek Memorial Meeting in Prague well before the Craven Shield dates were arranged and it was anticipated the Panthers skipper would miss the Czech meeting in favour of lining up for his club.
Panthers co-promoter Mick Bratley, also Andersen's manager, said: "It's unfortunate but Hans is the number one sponsored rider by Jawa and they have insisted he rides in a meeting that was agreed well before this match was arranged.
"We didn't think it would clash with anything but it has and we have accepted that on this occasion he will be missing for the Panthers."
Hefenbrock is still feeling the effects of a crash a few weeks ago and pulled out of a meeting over the weekend after aggravating his bruised kidneys. He will be replaced tonight by Panther's number eight Ulrich Ostergaard.
Poole (52 points) already hold a big lead over Lakeside (29) and Reading (27) after the first leg of this drawn-out semi battle at Wimborne Road last month, with Panthers yet to turn a wheel.
Therefore Poole are massive favourites to advance and Panthers woill almost certainly have to win comprehensively both tonight and when they face Lakeside and Poole at Purfleet on Friday to have any hope of progressing to the final.
Team manager Trevor Swales said: "We haven't actually ridden for a few weeks so I imagine it will take the boys a while to get going.
"It is going to be a tough night - as it will be on Friday as well - but you should never say never in speedway.
"It might be difficult to motivate the riders, but while there is a hope of making the final we will be going for it."
Lukas Dryml has been left out as a punishment for letting the club down. The Czech ace pulled out of a key league fixture against Coventry last month at short notice and has not appeared for Panthers since their Play-Off semi-final defeat at Swindon.
Swales added: "The decision to not select Lukas tonight is a punishment for the way he missed other meetings. I get the impression he doesn't really want to come over anyway, but Lukas has to learn he can't just keep disappearing."
Teams
Reading: Janusz Kolodziej, Patrick Hougaard , Mark Lemon, Sam Simota, Jonas Davidsson, Krzysztof Buczkowski.
Lakeside: Andreas Jonsson, Ricky Kling, Krzysztof Kasprzak, Andreas Messing, Adam Shields, Leigh Lanham.
Panthers: Hans Andersen, Christian Hefenbrock, Kenneth Bjerre, Daniel King, Niels Kristian Iversen, Piotr Swiderski.