PIRATES have booked hot prospect Mikkel Bech Jensen as one of three guests as they prepare to track an almost unrecognisable team in Friday’s clash at Eastbourne.

Poole will be without Przemyslaw Pawlicki, Maciej Janowski and Tomas H Jonasson for the Elite League showdown because the trio are all committed to Grand Prix qualifiers on Saturday.

However, the one positive to emerge from the situation is that Wimborne Road chief Matt Ford has acted swiftly to bring in an impressive list of replacements – headed by highly-rated Dane Jensen.

Widely known as Mikkel B, he comes in as his Premier League club Plymouth have a fixture-free Friday and Ford said he had been unable to resist the temptation of drafting in the teenage ace.

He will be joined by fellow stand-ins Ben Barker, who will line up for Birmingham against Pirates at Perry Barr tonight, and King’s Lynn’s Richie Worrall.

Pawlicki and Jonasson have both been drawn at Esbjerg, Denmark, in the same GP qualifying round as Poole asset and Wimborne Road favourite Krzysztof Kasprzak, while Janowski will ride at Lonigo.

And while promoter Ford bemoaned the situation facing Pirates at Eastbourne, he backed his team’s stars who are now one step away from the Grand Prix Challenge, which will be hosted by Poole in August.

Ford told Pirates’ official website: “It is a shame that we will be missing all three but I believe each of them has a realistic chance of going all the way in the qualifiers, particularly with the challenge at Wimborne Road.

“They are determined to maximise their chances of making the top eight in their respective meetings this weekend and all deserve to have the best possible preparation.

“When we accepted the new date for our meeting, we only had Maciej in the side and had no idea of the level of disruption it would throw at us.

“I do feel that I have been able to secure some decent deputies for Friday with Mikkel B Jensen, Ben Barker and Richie Worrall all stepping into the breach and I would like to thank all three of them for agreeing to wear the blue and white.

“Plymouth ordinarily ride on Fridays but have a fixture-free night, so the opportunity to use Mikkel was one I couldn’t resist.”

Meanwhile, Pirates will be at full-strength as they look to maintain a 100 per cent away record against Birmingham this evening.

Poole have won all three of their previous clashes at Perry Barr and will look to go one better than their stunning fightback in last week’s draw with the Brummies at Wimborne Road.

Neil Middleditch’s side will be unchanged from that draw, while Middleditch is set to manage Poole after surgery on the hand injuries he sustained in a dog attack last week.

Brummies (from): Auty, Barker, Covatti, Doyle, Harris, King, Smolinski.

Pirates (from): Holder, Janowski, Jonasson, Prz Pawlicki, Stachyra, Tungate, R/R for Miskowiak.