FREDDIE Eriksson is the speedway rider Ipswich Evening Star Witches are chasing to stop the rot.It is believed that the Swedish star could be in the team for the home clash with Wolverhampton on Thursday as the Witches look to end their miserable start to the campaign.

By Elvin King

FREDDIE Eriksson is the speedway rider Ipswich Evening Star Witches are chasing to stop the rot.

It is believed that the Swedish star could be in the team for the home clash with Wolverhampton on Thursday as the Witches look to end their miserable start to the campaign.

Eriksson, who is part of the Rospiggarna team in his home country, has a re-arranged Swedish League match on Wednesday – so is ruled out of Ipswich's visit to Poole.

But the rider, who did well as a member of the King's Lynn side, has a good record at Foxhall Stadium and should bolster the Witches' line-up.

Ipswich currently lie second-from-bottom of the Elite League table after winning just three times in their opening 13 league outings.

Witches director Magda Louis was unwilling to confirm that Eriksson has been targeted, but

admitted: "It's no secret that we have been working hard to try to improve our team."

Eriksson was left without a club when promoter Nigel Wagstaff moved from Lynn to Oxford last winter.

His British contract is owned by Wagstaff, who originally wanted to sell Eriksson and was not interested in a loan deal.

That may have changed now, but Wagstaff is holding out and the case is likely to be heard by the

management committee of the British Speedway Promoters' Association.

Eriksson has made it known that he is keen to return to British speedway and is looking forward to riding for Ipswich. He has bikes ready to be shipped over to England.

It remains to be seen which current Witches rider will make way for the Swede if a deal is finally agreed with Oxford.

Eriksson will come into the team proper, probably as a second string, but with the complicated average system this year it is not an easy equation to work out.

Ipswich lost out on bold moves to bring in Greg Hancock and Tomasz Gollob last month.

It appears that they now see Eriksson as a rider to improve their lower order and his inclusion would bolster interest in Thursday's match against the current champions.