DESPITE his horror crash in Poland last Sunday, world champion Jason Doyle is set to lead Cases Somerset Rebels at Leicester next Monday at a venue where they will be hoping lightning will strike twice.

Metaphorically and meteorologically speaking that might appear something of a bizarre wish, given the recent soggy conditions that have effectively drowned out the 2018 speedway season.

With Garry May’s Somerset side due in action on Monday (April 16) at Leicester it is the only track the Rebels have been able to ride a meeting, collectively, this season.

The visit this time is with the added incentive of SGB Premiership league points and team manager May will be looking to take the positives from their March 26 soiree, when they were narrowly beaten 46-44 in a challenge engagement.

May said: “We rode really well there last time and had the Lions on the ropes at one stage.

“Given that was the first outing for all our team and most of them have since been able to get a ride in somewhere despite this awful weather then we have plenty to build on.”

He added: “The funny thing is that Leicester fans will have seen more of us Rebels than our own fans have!”

May also acknowledged that the Lions could be a different prospect this time around.

“Since the opener, they have brought in Michael Palm-Toft from our last visit to replace injured Josh Bates.

“MPT rode really well for us last season up there - strangely enough the only meeting he did for us as a Rebel!"

Despite Sunday’s nightmare crash , Rebels’ Jason Doyle is set to lead the Rebels who will be unchanged from the septet that suffered that opening defeat last month.

Somerset will welcome the Lions back to the Oaktree Arena on Wednesday, April 18 when they look to get in the first action of the year at the Highbridge venue.

Monday teams (Provisional):

Leicester: Martin Vaculik, Michael Palm Toft, Danny King (capt), Krystian Pieszczek, Hans Andersen, James Sarjeant, Kyle Newman - Team manager: Simon Stead

Somerset: Jason Doyle (capt), Jake Allen, Charles Wright, Jack Holder, Richard Lawson, Bradley Wilson-Dean, Jonas Jeppesen - Team manager: Garry May