Dennis Rodman is ready to play on successive nights for Genesis Brighton Bears as he pursues his dream of an unlikely NBA comeback.

Bears have confirmed the Chicago Bulls legend will play for them twice when he returns to England next week.

Rodman will line-up against title favourites Newcastle Eagles at the Brighton Centre on Tuesday (7pm), then face London Towers at Crystal Palace on Wednesday (7.30pm).

Bears are advising their rivals from South London on how to stage the game, for which ticket prices range from £12 to £40.

Rodman makes no secret of his desire to return to the big league and his management team say he has been working hard to be fit for his trip to England.

Bears coach Nick Nurse has received a request from an NBA team for a tape of Rodman's appearance in the win over Guildford Heat.

Nurse said: "One club have been in touch with us for a tape and I believe if Dennis wanted to get back in the NBA, he could do it.

"If a team needed somebody to take some rebounds and help sell some tickets, he would do a good job.

"In the mean time we are looking forward to having him back here."

Rodman's management company have left the door open to future appearances, either in the play-offs or next season, if next week's games go well.

Steven Simon, vice-president of Prince Marketing Group, said: "I think Dennis did great last time and they won, which is what it's about, but he can only do better this time.

"Dennis works out religiously. The most important thing for him is he gets his workouts in.

"He's a veteran, he knows when he is ready play."

Rodman arrives in England on Monday and his schedule is likely to include a book signing session at Churchill Square that afternoon to promote his autobiography I Should Be Dead By Now.

Bears will need Rodman's best efforts around the backboards if their defensive rebounding in Tuesday's 90-82 defeat by Scottish Rocks is anything to go by.

Nurse added: "We are grateful to the league, to London Towers and to Leicester Riders, who were due to play at Crystal Palace that night, for making this happen.

"Hopefully this gives fans in London and people who already had plans for Valentine's Day the chance to see Dennis in action."

Tickets for home game with Newcastle remain on sale via ticketmaster.co.uk or on 01273 697400.

Seats for the game at Palace are being sold through TicketWeb.co.uk or on 08700 600 100, a 24-hour service.

The re-arrangement of the Towers game means Bears face four games in five days next week.

They go to Guildford on Friday and host Chester at the Triangle on Saturday.

Steve Parillon, top scorer on Tuesday, said: "It's a hard week but that stuff doesn't get to me. I look at the bigger picture "I'm just trying to win the games because, after Rodman has gone, it's still us, the Brighton Bears.

"There are still eight players there and we are still trying to go to the play-offs.

We can't get caught up in the Rodman hype.

"Our focus is to do what we want to do which is to get a home court advantage in the play-offs and we're not that far away.

"We need to get that fourth spot."

Meanwhile, Jerry Williams has reported no after-effects from his collision with a basket support on Tuesday.

But he remains convinced he should have gone to the free throw line.

Williams hit the support under pressure from Frank Bennett as he scored in the first half.

The collision brought back memories of how Ryan Huntley suffered a broken foot which began the disintegration of Bears' season almost exactly a year previously.

Williams eventually got to his feet and, with a wave to the crowd and an adjustment of his pony tail, confirmed all was okay.

But a subdued display against massed defence saw him fail to score a field goal in the last 18 minutes of the game.

He said: "I think something should have been called. He caught me when I was in the air.

"Once a player is in the air you are not supposed to touch him. Drew (Alleyne) went to block somebody and caught him later in the game and got called for an intentional foul."

Martin Yabsley had an MRI scan yesterday on the suspected perforated knee tendon which ruled him out of Tuesday's game.