NIELS-KRISTIAN Iversen will breathe fresh life into Peterborough’s play-off bid.

NIELS-KRISTIAN Iversen will breathe fresh life into Peterborough’s play-off bid.

The Readypower Panthers’ skipper returns to the line-up after a ten-match lay-off with a badly broken shoulder.

And he’s revealed that part of his rehabilitation programme has seen him spend hours in an oxygen tank.

Hampton-based Iversen, who has been out since the beginning of May, said: “I’ve been going to the Huntingdon, Peterborough and Cambridge MS Centre and spending up to two hours a time having High Dosage Oxygen Therapy.

“It helps accelerate the healing of the bones and I wouldn’t have got back as quickly as this without the help of the multiple sclerosis charity.

It’s been Iversen’s longest spell on the sidelines in his career but he is back in the squad to take on Belle Vue in an Elite League clash at the East of England Showground on Friday night (7.30 pm).

Puk fractured his shoulder blade in a crash during a Danish Superleague match at Slangerup on May 5 and has missed the Panthers’ last ten meetings.

He said: “It’s like starting all over again, I thought it would be easy to bounce back into good form but you still need to get used to everything again, how the bike works, how it reacts, and what to do with it.”

Iversen has proved his fitness in four comeback meetings in Scandinavia since Peterborough were last in action and he is convinced that will help him slot back into his old high-scoring groove.

He added: “I’ve had three Swedish meetings and also my GP qualification round and I’m getting there.

“I know Peterborough quite well and it should come back pretty quick there.”

Iversen scored seven points in Sweden on Tuesday night for Indianerna.

He said: “It was away at Vetlanda and they are the toughest team in the league so I was pretty happy with that.

“It’s been really frustrating to be outside and not being able to do anything.

“I thought it was going to be fairly quick but it kept dragging out. I tried to keep optimistic but I had to realise that sometimes you have got to take longer than you want.

“It’s the longest I’ve ever been out during a season, I had a shoulder operation before last year but that was in the winter so I didn’t miss any meetings.

“I had five weeks out in 2007 with knee ligaments otherwise it’s only been three weeks, until now.”

POLAND star Norbert Kosciuch will make his British Elite League debut on Friday night.

Kosciuch, 26, has been cleared to ride for Peterborough against Belle Vue at the East of England Showground.

And he will be hoping to repeat the form that has made him one of the star turns in the Polish First League this season.

The Poznan racer is currently ranked ninth in the averages – ahead of Grand Prix star Magnus Zetterstrom, Ipswich’s former World Under 21 Champion Robert Miskowiak and Poole flyer Davey Watt.

He’s also ahead of two of his new Panthers’ teammates Krzysztof Buczkowski and Rory Schlein.

Peterborough Director of Speedway Peter Oakes said: “Norbi’s Polish form has been superb this season – he’s actually scored more points than Chris Harris from the same number of matches in the First League and the rider immediately above him in the averages is Scott Nicholls!

“Obviously it will take him a couple of meetings to get used to the East of England Showground but he’s ultra professional and that should help him make his mark.

“He’s already got two fully-prepared bikes in England for his debut and he can’t wait to get started.”