PLYMOUTH Devils have signed former Leicester and Belle Vue rider Linus Eklof.

The 26-year-old Swede will make his debut in Friday’s Premier League match against Newcastle at the St Boniface Arena (7.15pm).

Eklof comes into Plymouth’s declared one to seven on a 5.76 average in place of James Wright and slots into a reserve position with Todd Kurtz promoted into the top five.

Newcastle will be without three of their regular team members. Lewis Kerr is ruled out because of the injury he received during the Premier League Four Team event earlier this season and experienced Australian Christian Henry has a back injury. Reserve Tero Aarnio is also unavailable.

The Diamonds will use the rider replacement facility to cover Kerr’s absence and Alex Davies has been called up from Scunthorpe as a guest replacement for Henry while Sam Chapman comes in at reserve.

At number one for the visitors is Steve Worrall with the main support coming from skipper Ludvig Lindgren and his fellow Swede Anton Rosen. Completing the side at reserve is 24-year-old Dane Simon Nielsen, who had a spell with Plymouth in 2013.

The Devils were set to keep a close eye on Ipswich’s final league match of the season at home to Peterborough on Thursday evening.

Ipswich are currently in the sixth – and final – play-off place and nine points ahead of Plymouth.

Devils co-promoter Ashley Taylor said: “We will know just what we have to do in our final five matches when we go into action against Newcastle.

“We have 17 points to race for and may need 13 – or it may only be 10. Either way, it will be in our own hands and we will have everything to race for.”

Plymouth have re-arranged their remaining home match against Scunthorpe for Thursday September 10.

Plymouth: Kyle Newman, Morten Risager, Jack Holder, Todd Kurtz, Ryan Fisher. Reserves: Sam Simota, Linus Eklof.

Newcastle: Steve Worrall, rider replacement for Lewis Kerr, Alex Davies, Anton Rosen, Ludvig Lindgren. Reserves: Simon Nielsen, Sam Chapman.