Hammers will be without four regular riders against Swindon

Lakeside Hammers team boss Jon Cook has said the meeting with the Swindon Robins is crucial to their season.

The Hammers face the Robins hoping to consolidate their place in the top-two for a home tie in the play-offs.

Cook told BBC Essex: "I think it would take a huge collapse for us to fall out of the play-off picture.

"But if Swindon were to win at our place and pick up another away win then we'd need to go back on the road and win again to get back above them."

Cook heads into the meeting at the Arena Essex Raceway on Friday night without four of his regular riders.

Andreas Jonsson is back in Sweden awaiting the birth of his first child, Joonas Kylmakorpi has a dislocated shoulder while Ricky Kling and Lubos Tomicek are required for individual meetings in their home countries.

Tai Woffinden, Kauko Nieminen and Chris Mills come into the team while rider replacement will be used for Kylmakorpi.

There will little time to rest after the league encounter, as the Hammers head down to Eastbourne for the first-leg of the Knockout Cup on Saturday evening.