NEIL Middleditch admits the loss of Hans Andersen is a hammer blow to Pirates but insists he has faith in Matt Ford to find adequate cover – if need be.

Andersen broke a finger on his left hand following a crash with Poole guest Max Fricke in Bank Holiday Monday's defeat at Leicester.

Having spent the night in hospital, the Danish star returned home to seek further medical advice and admitted it was too early to make a decision on his league racing for the rest of the season.

The former Grand Prix star will miss tonight's home meeting with Elite League standings leaders Belle Vue with Krzysztof Kasprzak booked to guest (7.30pm).

But Andersen's availability for later meetings is as yet unknown with Wolverhampton and King's Lynn providing the opposition next week.

Pirates cannot make a permanent team change at this stage and Middleditch backed promoter Ford to find the right stand-ins at a crucial stage of the season.

Middleditch told the Daily Echo: "Hans is a huge loss. We're back to the guest scenario and we could be dependent on what is around for us to use.

"That's something me and Matt will need to chat about.

"Matt is a master in that respect so we will have to wait and see what he can do for us. He has to make the best of a bad job."

The injury suffered by Andersen and defeats to Belle Vue and Leicester combined to make it a tough bank holiday for Pirates.

The reigning champions could tonight seal their play-off spot but Middleditch admitted recent events had been less than ideal.

He said: "Performances haven't been our greatest but we are up in the play-off positions just have to try and consolidate in the next few meetings. We've definitely got to have our wits about us as it's not all done and dusted yet.

"It's not running smoothly heading towards the play-offs but speedway has a habit of doing that to you.

"You make your luck and you take your luck and, unfortunately, at the moment we're having a bit of bad luck.

"But once you get in the play-offs, it all starts again. I still maintain that over two legs, when we are all firing together, we are a very dangerous team."

Reflecting on the double defeat on Monday, Middleditch added: "I didn't think our performance at Belle Vue was too bad. I didn't feel overly disappointed. Maybe we just gave them a bit of a headstart.

"We've got to make sure we hit the ground running on Thursday and try and get the points on the board.

"At Leicester it was always going to be difficult given we had lost our number one in Chris Holder and a heat leader in Hans.

"I felt we should have gone there and won but it's one of those things."