GUTTED Neil Middleditch says British speedway should consider fining riders who suffer injuries away from the shale sport – after Maciej Janowski’s motocross smash dealt a huge blow to Poole Pirates’ Elite League title defence.

Middleditch was left ‘sickened’ after the stand-in skipper and Grand Prix rider-in-waiting was ruled out of tomorrow night’s play-off semi-final second leg against King’s Lynn (7.30pm) due to an arm injury that required nine stitches.

The absence of the Polish heat leader means Pirates will be forced to track four guests at Wimborne Road with Craig Cook, Danny King, Edward Kennett and Davey Watt set to step in for Janowski, Josh Grajczonek (broken collarbone), Darcy Ward (suspended) and Vaclav Milik (unavailable).

Discussing his disappointment at Janowski’s injury, Middleditch told the Daily Echo: “I’m absolutely devastated and am wondering what else can go wrong. This has possibly robbed us of another Elite League title.

“I’m very disappointed in Magic. It’s not the first time a speedway rider has been injured away from the sport but it doesn’t make it any easier. While I know you can’t wrap riders in cotton wool, it’s not really acceptable, particularly at the play-off end of the season.

“Some common sense has to prevail when the biggest meetings of the year are coming up and you are messing about on a motorbike, which you can get hurt on.

“In Poland you get fined if you miss a meeting through a non-speedway injury and perhaps that’s something we should look at putting into contracts here, to show the boys they can’t do it. I can’t see any reason why that could not happen. If riders want to ride for a club then they have to under certain conditions.

“At the start of the season I know they want to keep fit and perhaps it is not too bad to ride motocross then, but when you get to the business end of the season it’s a no-no.”

With Janowski sidelined, fast track star Kyle Newman will be handed the captain’s armband.

The youngster and fellow reserve Benji Compton have recently suffered with knee and wrists complaints respectively, while fellow Pirate Shamek Pawlicki has only recently returned from a broken collarbone.

King’s Lynn will be without the combined firepower of Niels-Kristian Iversen, Lewis Kerr and Lewis Rose but Middleditch is adamant his team have an uphill task with only a 45-44 lead from the first leg.

He continued: “It was tough before Magic got injured and it’s annoying to go in there with four guests. It makes a bit of a joke of it but we can only do what we can do.

“I feel sick. It’s horrible. We’ll do what we can do to the best of our ability and hopefully we’ll get there. The four riders we’ve got in are all good riders and I’m sure they will give 100 per cent.”

Poole: (from) Cook (guest), Kennett (guest), King (guest), Pawlicki, Watt (guest), Compton, Newman. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

King's Lynn: (from) K Bjerre, R Lambert, Nicholls (guest), Porsing, Schlein, Wright (guest), S Lambert. Team manager: Rob Lyon.