'We’re asking everybody to step up' - Leeds Knights make do without injured captain Kieran Brown

It isn’t the first time the Knights have had to make do without their record points scorer this season, the 24-year-old once again leading the way in terms of scoring this season with 27 goals and 28 assists in league and cup games.

Back in November, Brown sustained an injury in the 5-1 win over Hull Seahawks, one that forced him to miss three games.

His absence led to mixed results on the ice, the Knights hammering Telford Tigers 7-2 on home ice in the next game before falling to a 6-1 defeat on the road against the same opponents and then losing 3-2 in overtime at home to Basingstoke Bison.

Last week saw Brown take a big hit from behind in the first period against Bristol Pitbulls. Although he returned for a couple of shifts before the end of the first 20 minutes, he played no further part thereafter.

But Aldridge was encouraged by the ability of the players left at his disposal to rally from going 2-0 down to running out deserved 5-2 victors, 17-year-old forward Edgars Vengis leading the charge with a memorable hat-trick.

“Having Kieran out is a big loss, definitely,” admitted Aldridge, whose team host Telford at The Castle on Saturday (6.30pm). “When Kieran is in the line-up, you know there is a chance of scoring every night.

“But we’ve had him out of the line-up before and been successful and we’re asking everybody else to step up.

“Innes went up on to that line that Kieran was on last Sunday and looked pretty good and he has also looked pretty good in practice this week. Edgars jumped in on the second line last week and has been unbelievable and is going to keep that spot until something else in the line-up happens where we need to change lines again - but he deserves to be there.

“And there are plenty of options to join Oli and Fin. I’m certainly not panicking because either way, we will still have three strong lines.”

Brown is not the only absentee this weekend, with import forward Arturs Mickevics still struggling with a lower-body injury which has kept him out of the line-up since the 5-3 defeat at home to Peterborough Phantoms on January 10.

Import defenceman Sam Dunn is rated day-by-day in his bid to return from a lower-body injury which has seen him sidelined since the 4-2 win on New Year’s Eve at Sheffield Steeldogs.

If he fails to be cleared for either the visit from Telford or tomorrow’s trip to Peterborough, Aldridge does have options to fill the gap in the shape of Lewis Baldwin and Liam Hine.

While the Knights will no doubt still have designs on closing what seems to be an ever-increasing gap between themselves and leaders Swindon Wildcats - now 13 points clear of the three-time champions with 20 games remaining - their opponents this weekend will have similar ambitions of their own.

Telford arrive in West Yorkshire fifth in the standings and just six points adrift of third-placed Leeds, but having played two games more.

Peterborough - no doubt determined to bounce back from their NIHL National Cup semi-final loss to the Steeldogs in midweek - currently pose a bigger threat, sitting just one place below and three points behind Leeds.