SWINDON Wildcats player-coach Aaron Nell says his side will be more prepared for Manchester Phoenix this weekend as they look to banish last week’s 5-0 road defeat.

Despite the off-rink issues that Manchester are enduring at present, their side put Swindon to the sword last weekend in Deeside and Nell is now hoping his players are ready to put things right as they look to exact immediate revenge at the Link Centre tomorrow.

“It was a tough weekend but we have got to bounce back now,” he said.

“It is about putting in the hard work and it’s not the end of the world, losing like that, but now we have got to push back and start putting in some good performances.

“It’s not a lack of hard work and it is not a lack of want, we have just got to start pulling together as a team and get back to being a hard team to play against.

“People weren’t happy, you’re never happy losing by five goals in a game, and we have got to put that right on Saturday night.

“I am sure that performance last week gave them some confidence and they will be looking to get another one over on us.

“They have got some very good players who are on the ice an awful lot and are a difficult team to beat.

“They came out fired on Sunday night and they didn’t come out like a team that have had the issues they have had. We’ll be ready for that on Saturday.”

Swindon will follow up with a trip to Sheffield Steeldogs on Sunday and Nell believes only hard work will see them come out of the weekend with any points.

“This weekend is as tough as they come, but it is a good test for us,” he added.

“We do seem to play up to the better opposition and Sheffield is a very tough team to play against away from home.

“It’s not always going to be easy every weekend, we have to bounce back and hopefully it will make us stronger.

“We will work on out shape and work on a couple of system things but it is a case of hard work because the harder you work the better you feel.

“We haven’t been great since Christmas but we will pick it up and we’re a good bunch who want to do well.”

BELFAST netminder Stephen Murphy’s return means Wildcats’ Stevie Lyle has dropped out of the Great Britain squad for next month’s Olympic pre-qualification tournament in Italy.

Lyle was picked for the squad which secured a silver medal at last year’s World Championship (Division 1B) in Holland after Murphy was injured.

Former Wildcats defenceman Paul Swindlehurst and Swindon-born Mark Richardson are included as Britain aim to qualify for the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.