CRAIG Lee will be back in the Darlington team to visit Dudley Kingswinford tomorrow, although he would have preferred to wait another week after his knee operation.

The player-coach has brought forward his return to action following Andrew Turner's decision to go back Horden and he will partner Richard Lang at centre.

Back-up on the bench will be provided by former county centre Leigh Johnson, who has been back in training after two years away from first team action.

"We are hoping for the same sort of convincing win as we got down there last year," said Lee as he prepared to face the only team below Darlington in National Three North.

"The forwards are at full strength with Paul Radford available at lock and Dan Oselton has told us he will be available every week as his university team are not playing on Saturdays. That's a big bonus."

Darlington Mowden Park will expect to record a second successive win at home to Bedford Athletic, but they will have to plan without Jonny Golightly.

The luckless fly half has suffered another injury to his troublesome knee, so South African Michael Georgiou becomes an automatic choice.

Mowden have to decide whether to bring in big South African lock Naude Pretorius following his promising debut for the seconds at Blaydon last week.

Blaydon have suffered a huge blow with an injury to skipper Dave Guthrie, which will keep him out until after Christmas.

The experienced lock played for the last half hour of last week's Powergen Cup win against Wharfedale with a broken breast plate and has also cracked a couple of ribs.

Blaydon also have a problem at scrum half as Nick Williams twisted an ankle last week, and with Micky Dungait also injured they have signed Shaun Richardson on loan from Harrogate.

The youngest of the three Richardson brothers from Middlesbrough, he is an ex-Newcastle Falcons Academy player and will be available for Blaydon for the next few weeks.

Centre Pete Kilburn is unavailable, but Dave Grand is back and Guthrie's place for the tough match away to Halifax will probably go to Dave Marwick, who is back from holiday.

In North Two East, Stockton visit Driffield, who have the same record of two wins from four games. Andy Bare is out with a hamstring injury, so Stuart Brown will come in, while it is also hoped that Wayne Brown will be fit to replace his brother, Alan, who is working.

Dave Moulder comes in for unavailable hooker Danny Muirhead and scrum half Nicky Poole returns after injury.

l Northallerton stage a match between Yorkshire Under 19s and Durham University on Sunday (2pm), when Darlington lock James Snowball is on the bench for the county team.