Brighton Bears' Wilbur Johnson and Sterling Davis are battling to be fit to play a full part in a potentially pivotal BBL weekend.

The two Bears powerhouses have missed training sessions this week, Davis with back and knee trouble and Johnson with a twisted ankle.

Both are expected to figure at Derby Storm tomorrow night (7.30pm) but may then struggle to recover in time for Leicester's visit to the Triangle on Sunday (5pm).

Bears will start as favourites to win both games, but only if they improve on the woeful second half performance which allowed Newcastle to snatch victory at Burgess Hill last Sunday.

Coach Nick Nurse said: "For the first time this season we are really troubled by injuries and I would say Will was the more questionable.

"I would expect them to play at Derby but let's see how they are after that.

"It's a big weekend for us but we have got to take care of business. Towers are doing their best to give us a chance of winning the southern conference but we have got to put the heat right on them.

"This is one of those weekends when we won't put too much emphasis on our scouting reports. We will concentrate on what we do. If we play hard for 40 minutes we should be able to win these games but they are always tricky."

Derby were 15-point winners over London Towers recently, one of five league defeats since Christmas for the leaders.

They face a tough double-header weekend, going to Birmingham tomorrow and hosting Sheffield on Sunday.

John White and Robert Youngblood are both struggling with injuries for Towers and, with Leopards and Birmingham coming up on the rails, the race both for play-off places and the title looks like being the most exciting ever.

Third-placed Leopards should win at home to Edinburgh tomorrow before going to Milton Keynes for a four-pointer.

Sunday's programme also sees Thames Valley chase a much-needed win at Chester and Birmingham visit Edinburgh.

Johnson admits the players keep an eye on other teams' fixtures but said: "It won't matter what others do if we lose our own games."

The Bears centre admitted he would not have been fit for action yesterday after landing awkwardly on his ankle in training.

He hopes treatment will enable him to renew his rivalry with Derby's 6ft 11ins centre Tyler Peterson.

He said: "I know we beat them at Brighton but their big man had one of his best games of the season that night.

"He got 20 points and I took a bit of ribbing so I will hope to get a little payback at Derby."

Worthing Thunder coach Gary Smith admits he does not expect skipper Paul Mundy-Castle to play in tomorrow's NBL clash at Inter-basket.

Mundy-Castle missed midweek training and Smith said: "We have got 13 or 14 players in the squad and I need to think about them.

"We have got a hell of a talented team here and we need to come together and get a couple of wins."

Smith leads the southern select in Sunday's All-Star game at Eastleigh. His team includes Worthing's Sean Hampton and Gaylon Moore.