PROMOTER Matt Ford does not expect to see Shamek Pawlicki in Pirates kevlars until the Elite League play-offs, despite the Pole’s scheduled comeback in Poland this afternoon.

Pawlicki sustained a broken collarbone at Leicester three weeks ago and is due to make an early comeback from injury in Leszno’s Ekstraliga play-off semi-final against Tarnow.

The 23-year-old was brought into the Leszno team after Kenneth Bjerre was injured during last night’s Nordic Grand Prix, but Ford does not expect Pawlicki to feature for Pirates at Coventry tomorrow or at Leicester on Wednesday.

He told the Daily Echo: “Shamek had been advised not to ride until this coming Friday and while I don’t like to use the term pressure, that is exactly what would have been put on him.

“Leszno told him not to even practise and now he’s riding for them. I’d imagine because Bjerre got injured they panicked and thought they were going to get beaten without a competitive team, so they persuaded him to race.

“We have known it before where pressure has been put on the Polish nationals to make sure they ride in their own country. I don’t want to fall out with any Polish club but they do have a different set of rules to ourselves.

“He has not contacted me to say he will be riding for us and I’m sure if he felt he was fit enough to ride in the coming week then he would have been in touch with me.”

Vaclav Milik is ruled out of this week’s fixtures with the heavily bruised hand that he picked up in a spill against Eastbourne on Wednesday.

Poole are due to track guests Dakota North and Richard Lawson, while rider replacement will operate in the absence of the suspended Darcy Ward.

Coventry, who could still overhaul Pirates for second place, will use Max Fricke as cover for the injured Ben Barker.

Bees: (from) Hans Andersen, Max Fricke (guest), Kenneth Hansen, Chris Harris, Kyle Howarth, Jason Garrity, James Sarjeant. Team manager: Gary Havelock.

Pirates: (from) Josh Grajczonek, Maciej Janowski, Richard Lawson (guest), Dakota North (guest), Darcy Ward r/r,  Benji Compton, Kyle Newman. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.