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Cardiff Devils head coach Jarrod Skalde will miss Thursday's Champions Hockey League (CHL) opener at home against Adler Mannheim due to the competition's Covid-19 protocols.

Assistant coach Neil Francis, plus players Josh Batch and Ben Davies have also been ruled out of the fixture.

Former assistant coach Jamie Elson and managing director Todd Kelman will coach the team.

All the other players are clear to play after receiving negative PCR tests.

Absences under the CHL's Covid-19 protocols are as a result of either a positive test, the development of symptoms or close contact with an individual with a confirmed positive test.

The CHL says it will not specify "the precise reason for individual cases".

Thursday's match against Mannheim is the Devils' first in 17 months, after the Elite League season was stopped in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

The Devils are also due to play Lausanne HC in the CHL on Saturday at Ice Arena Wales.