The anticipated Durango High School girls tennis team’s full-strength debut will have to wait another week.

The Demons’ home opener against Grand Junction Central, however, remains on schedule for 4 p.m. Friday at DHS.

Durango will host Montrose at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“We had some injury problems this week,” DHS head coach Dave Weisfeldt said. “We’re still missing two key players at the top of our lineup.”

He expects to get many of the upperclassmen back after they missed the team’s 6-1 loss to Fruita Monument on Saturday because of prom.

The Demons have needed to play largely freshmen and sophomores so far this season because of injuries and scheduling commitments, which is good for their development but not necessarily what Weisfeldt wants for the rest of the year.

“At a certain point, we have to get dialed in and get our final lineup figured out,” he said. “Getting from here to there without any more injuries and letting people heal up is the No. 1 goal for us.”

He’ll have access to his full roster except Kit Hackett and Hannah Liberman. Weisfeldt expects to have Hackett back next week but doesn’t have a timetable for Liberman.

“When you have it at the top of the lineup, it affects everybody,” he said. “You’ve got to roll with the punches and play the hand that you’re dealt.”

The schedule handed the Demons their first home meet of the season after four consecutive road trips to open the year.

“The kids finally getting a weekend at home, having the community and their friends support them, that should be special,” Weisfeldt said. “The nature of our beast is we have to learn to be good on the road. When you’re home, it’s expected that you’ll play up to your full potential.”

There are six courts at DHS, so the teams will be able to play every match except for No. 4 doubles simultaneously.

“It makes it a three-ring circus,” Weisfeldt said.

kgrabowski@durangoherald.com