Eastbourne Eagles could be without Dean Barker for the rest of the season.

The 30-year-old rider needed an operation on the shinbone he broke in a crash during the British final at Coventry on Saturday.

Barker, who had a screw fitted to hold the bone together, has been told he could be out for up to 12 weeks.

Eagles have drafted in world champion Mark Loram to deputise and he races for Eagles against Ipswich tomorrow evening at Arlington.

Barker said: "That would wipe out the season if I was out that long. It's a crack at the top of the bone but hopefully the screw in it will speed up the recovery process.

"I'll go stir crazy if I have to miss most of the season. The doctors have told me I could be out for between six to 12 weeks.

"But I'm trying to remain optimistic and do everything the medical people ask of me. I'm not allowed to touch the ground with my damaged leg for six weeks, then I'll go back for an update.

"It is very frustrating for me because I'd been going pretty well. I'm gutted."

Barker relived the moment he clashed with Swindon's Alan Mogridge.

He said: "It was on a bend and Alan straightened up when I wasn't expecting it. I took avoiding action and ended up crashing into the fence. "

Barker has called for more safety measures to be introuduced.

He was sidelined for seven weeks last year with cruciate ligament trouble and he has suffered a broken leg and a broken arm.

Barker, from Portslade, said: "I feel the air fences they use in Grand Prix motor racing, where you run into air instead of a very thick fence, would help so much. But it's expensive."

It's been a traumatic season so far for the Eagles.

Joe Screen is already out for the season and this week Martin Dugard confirmed he will retire at the end of the year.

Eagles promoter Jon Cook said: "Last season was about glory when we won the title. This season has been about injuries.

"It hass been quite a week or so with Dean's injury, which I think will keep him out for the season, and Martin, but we'll bounce back."

It means Eagles will have a new look when they entertain the tractor boys of Ipswich Witches tomorrow.

The Suffolk side return to Arlington just two weeks after casting a spell over the Eagles.

It may come as a surprise to find Loram, who rides for Peterborough and is the reigning British champion, riding for Eagles but the rules about averages has worked in Eagles' favour this time.

Cook moved quickly to book Loram as cover when he discovered the extent of Barker's injuries.

The surprises in the Eastbourne team do not end there. With Joonas Kylmakorpi representing Finland in the World Team Cup, Cook has brought in Oxford's Steve Johnston at reserve. The Aussie is an all-action rider who frequently scores heavily on his visits to Eastbourne.

The Suffolk club's 50-40 victory at Arlington on May 19 was even more comprehensive than the ten-point margin suggests.

Eastbourne's ridershad a behind-closed-doors meeting to clear the air but Cook would not criticise his riders saying: "A good team does not become a bad team overnight."

But he called on the riders to quickly put matters right and last Sunday, against Coventry at Arlington, they went some way towards doing that, even though they let a ten point lead slip and drew 45-45.

Defeat by Ipswich was unexpected but since then the East Anglian side, like the town's football club in the Premiership, have created more surprises.

They followed victory at Eastbourne with success at Wolverhampton and then Poole.

Ipswich's surge up the table has been built on the form of two of the league's old hands and two from the new wave of young stars.

England's Scott Nicholls has been in sensational form and the move back to his home track is producing great results Pole Jarek Hampel was an unknown quantity in England when he signed for Ipswich. After a slow start to the year, he has hit form and took to Arlington on his first visit like a duck to water.

Old Boys Jeremy Doncaster, the second oldest rider in the Elite League, and Craig Boyce have been in top form However, it's the most open Elite League campaign ever. Pundits name Coventry, Oxford and Poole as likely winners but only Belle Vue, and perhaps Wolverhampton, are totally out of the running.