Ralph Blalock is not expected to play any part in Bears' game at Newcastle tomorrow.

He sat out last Sunday's defeat at Thames Valley with a calf injury.

Despite some steady progress this week under the supervision of physio Amy Rennolds, tomorrow's trip to his former club looks to be coming too soon for Bears' influential guard.

Instead, he may have to target next Friday's crucial showdown with Sheffield for a timely comeback.

Blalock's injury dates back to last Thursday's game with Leopards, when a sudden muscle spasm left him thumping the court in agony.

He returned to finish the game but the problem led to swelling and bruising.

That in turn brought about the sight of 'The King' clad in casual clothes on the bench as his colleagues ran out for action at Bracknell.

He said: "I've got a bruised nerve in my left calf and it has paralysed my foot. I don't have a lot of range of motion.

"When I run I have to think about picking up my foot. It's not instinct.

"Amy massaged it at the Leopards game and it was alright at the time but when I went home and slept on it the bruise was able to develop and start compressing the nerve. It had me in a lot of discomfort."

If Blalock misses out, it wll be the fifth time this season he has either sat a game out or played below full fitness.

Bears have lost the previous four though three of the defeats cannot be solely pinned on Blalock's absence.

Randy Duck missed all those games and Wilbur Johnson was away for one of them.

The ice cool No. 21 would have been a major asset when it all got heated last Sunday though.