GRAND Prix wildcard Craig Cook will guest for Swindon Robins in the place of injured skipper Troy Batchelor at Leicester on Saturday.

Cook, who rode in last weekend’s British Speedway Grand Prix at the Millennium Stadium, has been in good form this season for Belle Vue and finished second at the British Championships.

The 28-year-old comes in for the injured Batchelor, who is still recovering from his heavy crash at the Grand Prix and will also miss Monday’s meeting with Poole.

The Aussie rider has re-injured the same shoulder that was giving him problems at the start of the season. However, with a near two-week break for Swindon after the televised clash with Poole Batchelor’s blow is mercifully timed.

Without his captain, Robins boss Alun Rossiter was keen to get a strong guest in for his stricken captain and in Cook he believes he has done just that.

“Batch is not in for Saturday, Craig Cook is in instead,” said Rossiter. “Troy will be out for just over a week, so he will miss Monday as well.

“He’s re-aggravated the injury between his shoulder blades again from what he did previously. He’s going to take a week out and probably his next meeting back will be a Grand Prix.”

Rossiter overlooked Cook for his GB World Cup team, despite the form of the Aces’ rider. However, the Robins boss insists there is no problem between himself and Cook “Craig has had a good season, he’s a good rider and I know him well,” added Rossiter.

“People put two and two together and think the fact I didn’t pick him for the World Cup means he hates me.

“He doesn’t hate me at all but you have to make decisions and it’s no different to what I have had to do now with Kyle Howarth.”