NEWPORT County's mounting injury problems are not as bad as first feared, much to the relief of boss John Cornforth.

The Exiles boss saw Scott Morgan withdrawn at half-time and Andrew Thomas stretchered off in Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Eastbourne Borough, the pair joining Chris Curran and Jamie Moralee who had already been sidelined for the match.

With County's squad already paper thin after financial issues led to the release of several players earlier in the season, Cornforth cut a forlorn figure at the weekend, particularly after Cortez Belle's proposed loan from Chester City fell through at the last minute.

County slipped into the bottom three of the Conference South after Saturday's defeat, heightening the tension at a club which is starting to resemble a scene out of Casualty.

However, ahead of County's vital relegation clash this Saturday against basement boys Redbridge, Cornforth has finally received some positive news as all four players are making decent progress.

Defender Thomas has suffered bruising, but no break, to the ankle which he broke last season and he is already walking and is hoping to resume training tomorrow.

Morgan suffered a deep dead leg and is a doubt for the Redbridge clash, but he will be fit for selection in a matter of days and not weeks.

Curran, who has been in inspirational form for the Exiles since joining last month from Willenhall Town, has a good chance of playing on Saturday, with Cornforth happy to wrap him in cotton wool for the week and restrict his training.

Striker Moralee is expected to recover from a bout of flu and make it against Redbridge.

The news comes as some relief for Cornforth, who admits he hit a particularly low ebb at the weekend.

"Our reward for drawing at leaders Grays was to slip two places and then on Saturday we had more problems, unforeseen problems which we can't do anything about, and it cost us dearly," Cornforth said.

"But the news this week is better on the injury front and it can't get worse on the transfer front than the shambles we had with the Cortez Belle deal falling through.

"I am still looking to add to the squad and have been talking to managers all week, plus I am taking in as many games as I can and was at Plymouth v Cheltenham reserves last night looking at a player.

"But the squad here know what is at stake and are working hard, they know every game is a cup final for us now.

"We only need a couple of wins to get out of the bottom three and we will hopefully get back to winning ways, starting on Saturday."