SCUNTHORPE’S Luke Chessell has joined the Weymouth Weyline Wildcats on loan as the Wessex Raceway outfit attempts to plug the holes left by a crippling injury list.

With Terry Day already sidelined by concussion for up to another month and number one Byron Bekker a continuing doubt because of a back problem, reserve rider Danny Stoneman has joined the list of casualties.

The teenager broke his index finger while unloading his bikes after Friday’s defeat to Rye House and will be out for five to six weeks, forcing Cats’ chairman and caretaker-team manager Phil Bartlett to seek out a replacement.

“I would like to thank the Scunthorpe promotion for making Luke available to us during our injury crisis,” said Bartlett. “Luke has a couple of tough meetings ahead before his first home meeting for us but from all reports he should fill the gap left by Danny until he is fit.”

Chessell, who has been getting a reputation for being a fast starter, had been taking guest bookings in the National League and rode for Rye House on Sunday, scoring seven points from reserve at Buxton to end the night as the Cobras’ second top scorer.

The 20-year-old will make his debut at the Plymouth Devils on Friday (7.30pm) before facing some familiar faces to him at the Scunthorpe Saints two days later.

Injury problems on the track have aided the Cats’ dismal run of seven straight defeats and slump to the foot of the National League table, while Weymouth’s season was rocked even further by the news that team manager Jem Dicken would be departing.

And Stoneman, who is set to miss more than a month with his broken finger, admitted he was shocked by the news.

“I was a bit surprised about Jem leaving,” he said. “He was a good team manager as well as a nice bloke.

“It’s going to be about how the team react to it, they should be all right and good luck to them.”

Explaining how he broke his finger, Stoneman added: “I was unloading the bikes from the van, slipped off the back step, landed on it and heard a crunch.

“It’s pretty annoying because I was meant to be riding on Friday at my old home track.”