TOM DRUCE and Dale Garland sit second and third in the UK national 400m rankings going into this weekend’s national championships and world trials.

But while Druce (pictured) heads to Sheffield with serious intention to win and belief that he can land a first senior national medal, his fellow Guernseyman will be staying home to nurse a damaged hamstring.

Druce, 23, ran 47.52 to win the Birmingham Games title at the NIA on Sunday, a time just two-hundredths quicker than the one posted by Garland in winning his semi-final.

But the straight head-to-head contest never materialised in Birmingham as Garland opted out of the final in a bid to nurse the injury and make the final showdown for a place in the GB team at the world championships in Doha, which will be by way of a purely domestic 400 race on the fast NIA track at the televised Birmingham Grand Prix the weekend after next.

Garland, who has a grade one tear of his hamstring, expects to be fit for that race, but has no hope of racing at the trials this weekend.

He said yesterday that he needs to rest the leg for a week.

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