It's hardly make or break time, but the next week or so will probably shape the rest of Eastbourne Eagles' year.

Starting tonight at Oxford, Eagles face five Elite League matches in nine days, all against teams who are vying for a championship play-off spot at the end of the season.

Eastbourne boss Jon Cook admits: "There is no doubt this is a defining moment for us. It will show what we can do and what we can't do as far as our title challenge is concerned."

Peterborough, one of the surprise teams of the season, are at Arlington tomorrow night, then Eagles go to Poole on Monday before the return fixtures away to Peterborough next Thursday and at home to Poole a week tomorrow.

It's a big ask for the Sussex squad, who go into a massive schedule without their No. 1 rider, Mark Loram, who fractured an arm in two places in the Knockout Cup defeat by Poole on Good Friday.

Cook said: "This would have been an important time for us with Mark in the team. Now it will be a question of seeing where we stand when he comes back into the side."

Cook will be disappointed if Eastbourne come away from Oxford empty-handed, but they have only four points to spare in the battle of the bonus point after being held 47-43 at Arlington three weeks ago.

He also expects Eagles to keep their unbeaten home record when they take on Peterborough tomorrow and he will be looking for a vastly improved display in the Bank Holiday clash at Poole, where Eagles were humbled 56-34 in the cup.

"Our record at Oxford speaks for itself. We've got wins in the last three seasons and I expect to get a result there. I'll take us to beat Peterborough and the match at Poole has to be a lot closer than it was last time when we were poor and were beaten fair and square."

Eagles are banking on the Coventry connection to see off Oxford and Peterborough, with Billy Janniro filling in for Loram tonight and Lee Richardson taking over at Arlington tomorrow and again at Poole on Monday.

"Obviously, we would have preferred to have had Mark, but that's the nature of the beast and we have to get on with it. I'm confident that with the class of guests we have we will get something out of the matches this weekend."

Janniro did his best to ride himself into Eastbourne folklore the last time he guested for the club and probably would have done if his team-mates had been up to the task on the night.

The American was little short of sensational in last year's championship play-off decider against Wolves, riding his socks off in the cause and repeatedly punching the air and throwing his goggles into the crowd as he kept Eastbourne's dying title hopes alive to the end.

Richardson roars into Arlington after a typical tour of European track spots, Italy last Saturday, Poland on Sunday and Sweden on Tuesday.

The Hastings-born son of former Eagles' high flyer Colin Richardson won the world championship quarter-final round at Lonigo in Italy, dropping only one point in five rides. Who was second? Janniro.

Richardson has had Eastbourne on the rack a few times in the past, notably when he scored 18 points at Arlington last season, but this time Eagles will have him in their camp.

The Peterborough assault will be led by world No. 3 Ryan Sullivan, another prolific scorer round the Sussex track, five wins and 16 points, including a hat-trick over Loram, the last time he was here with the Panthers. Sullivan has hit double figures in all his matches this season.

The line-up also includes former Eastbourne captain Gary Havelock and Piotr Protasiewicz, who has always been an in and out performer at Arlington but flew round the circuit last year, scoring 13 points for Poland when they upset the USA in the World Cup meeting.

Peterborough won six league matches on the trot before losing a thriller 46-44 at Poole on Wednesday.

Eastbourne: Lee Richardson, Dean Barker, David Norris, Joonas Kylmakorpi, Joe Screen, Adam Shields, Davey Watt.

Peterborough: Ryan Sullivan, Shane Parker, Gary Havelock, Hans Andersen, Piotr Protasiewicz, Kenneth Bjerre, AN Other.

Tomorrow's start is at 7.30.