Schramm guests as Lynn look to tame Tigers

King’s Lynn grand slam winner Chris Schramm will deputise for injured captain Tomas Topinka in Wednesday’s Premier League opener against Sheffield at the Norfolk Arena. (7.45pm)

Schramm replaces the injured Czech who broke his right fibula in a horrific early spill during the club’s 48-42 weekend Premier Trophy defeat at Rye House.

Topinka is now poised for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after club officials confirmed the skipper had broken his leg in a smash involving Rockets’ youngster Luke Bowen.

Both riders were able to walk back to the pits but Topinka was ruled out on medical grounds during a 30 minute delay to the meeting following the high speed shunt.

Stars’ team boss Rob Lyon is confident Lynn’s depleted squad will pull together in Topinka’s early season injury absence with the Czech likely to be in plaster for a minimum of two months.

“The two riders took about 20 metres of fencing down as they came to a standstill,” he said. “Both riders lay motionless for at least five minutes so it was a relief to see them eventually get up from it and look relatively unscathed. It is a blow for Tom to suffer the injury but like I say, it could have been much worse and I am sure the team will pull together to cover for him.”

Schramm has already returned to the Norfolk Arena once this season with a paid seven haul in the Ashley Jones memorial meeting curtain raiser.

Lyon will now look for newly-crowned British U21 champion Joe Haines to help support Kevin Doolan in Topinka’s absence while improving reserve Darren Mallett aims to build on two impressive Premier Trophy displays.

Sheffield track Ricky Ashworth and Richard Hall again this campaign with Saddlebow specialist Josef Franc now in the Tigers’ septet.

Parade 7.30pm. First race 7.45pm.

Admission prices: Adults �13, concessions �10, juniors (aged 12 to 15) �5 and free entry for children aged 11 and under.

Stars: 1 Chris Schramm, 2 Linus Eklof, 3 Kozza Smith, 4 Joe Haines, 5 Kevin Doolan, 6 Casper Wortmann, 7 Ricky Wallace.

Tigers: 1 Ricky Ashworth, 2 Josh Auty, 3 Richard Hall, 4 Hugh Skidmore, 5 Josef Franc, 6 Arlo Bugeja, 7 Paul Cooper.