Dean Barker today warned Eastbourne Eagles' play-off rivals: "This team can still improve".

Eagles return to skybet Elite League action tonight after the World Cup break when Ipswich Witches visit Arlington (7.30pm).

Eastbourne know they will be back at full strength in terms of personnel for the first time since their narrow defeat at Poole almost two months ago as David Norris and Davey Watt ride after recent injury problems.

What they cannot be sure about is how close to 100 per cent both those riders are. Norris admitted he was well short of full fitness after making his comeback against Swindon nine days ago.

And Watt defied medical advice to ride for Australia in two World Cup dates last week following upper-body bruising sustained in a crash 23 days ago. Eagles need to keep picking up home wins to remain on course for a top-four finish.

And Barker will look for further signs of all-round progress in a key phase of the sea-son.

The vastly experienced Eagles skipper said: "We are'still in good form and improving and getting all our riders back is great news for us.

"David Norris thought he was a bit rusty last Saturday but I thought he was brilliant.

"It was his comeback after a while out and he was still scoring points.

"I saw a bit of Davey Watt in Sweden on TV last Thursday and he was on the pace. It was a very hard round for the Aussies bit he did okay and we hope to see him back against Ipswich.

"The rest of us are all going well."

Tonight's contest is the second in a series of four key home meetings for Eastbourne.

They host Wolverhampton on Friday, when Mark Loram guests in place of Nicki Pedersen, who will be on Grand Prix duty the following day.

Then Belle Vue, the team Eagles boss Jon Cook fancies visiting in the play-offs, visit the East Sussex track on August 20.

The Witches could yet creep into the end-of-season knockout and will head to Arlington fired up by a pep talk from director Magda Louis.

She has been outspoken in her criticism of the Suffolk outfit after some disappointing results at home recently.

Piotr Protasiewicz has been the main target in Magda's attempt at manager speak.

She said: "Pepe in particular has dropped his form dramatically.

He knows he is letting us down and no one is more fed up with it than him.

"We need him to come good."

Norris, meanwhile, has been honing his fitness out on a pushbike and insists he will come good sooner or later. The Eagles No. 1 was not overly satisfied with a haul of nine points from five rides on his comeback.

He said: "I will be better. I'm not 100 per cent now but I'll try to do what I can out there."

Eagles will be expected to win tonight but face a battle to get the bonus point.

The corresponding away fixture ended in a 55-38 Ipswich win.

Cook said: "We've got no aspirations for the bonus point tonight.

"We went to Ipswich when we were at our lowest ebb and produced our worst performance of the season.

"But we need to remain dominant at home."