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Fife Flyers have added a new forward to a line-up battered by injuries, and he goes straight into the line-up for tonight’s Challenge Cup quarter-final tie against Dundee Stars.

But they will ice without four key forwards in this first leg match.

Out of the line-up are Scandinavians Janne Kivilahti, Janne Laakkonen, and Lucas Sandström. Veteran Chris Lawrence is also out of the line-up.

They join British forward James Spence on the sidelines - he is still recovering from breaking his hand. The line-up is already minus Shawn Cameron after his injury-ending cruciate ligament injury.

Fife Flyers are in cup action tonight (Pic: Jillian McFarlane)

It means a baptism of fire for new signing Liam Blackburn who only arrived in town on Tuesday night and trained with his new team-mates for the first-time on Wednesday morning.

The 26-year-old from Prince George, British Columbia, joined Flyers after icing this season in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), a pro hockey league based in the southeastern United States. He iced nine games with Macon Mayhem, three with Evansville Thunderbolts and one with Fayetteville Marksmen.

But he also has experience of playing in Europe, playing in the German third and fourth tiers from 2020-22. At Deggendorf he was the club’s leading scorer with 31 points.

With Flyers battling a never-ending injury crisis, his arrival will be welcomed in the dressing-room.

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, said: ''It was crucial that we act quickly and bring a body in. Liam became available last week, and we jumped at the opportunity.

“This is a great chance for Liam to come in and prove himself in this league. It will also be a huge boost to the team’s morale that we were able to bring in some support and take some pressure off the playing staff.”

Flyers have to go to Dundee tonight and ensure they emerge, at worst, with a tight result, to set up the return leg at Fife Ice Arena on Wednesday, December 14.

The teams have matched up well this season and Flyers have won on Stars’ ice pad already - but the absences add more pressure on the players.

Dutiaume said: “You can’t win the tie in the first leg, but you can lose it if you don’t play smart.

“We have to bring back a close game, or a lead,. We’ve been involved in many of these play-off type games in recent seasons so the guys know what to do.

“It’s certainly a great opportunity for one Scottish club to make the semi-finals - we want it to be us,”

Fife Flyers: new signing set for debut as club reveals four imports out injured