NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have delayed selection of their team to face Llanelli Scarlets in their crucial Celtic League game at Rodney Parade tomorrow night.
Second placed Dragons will pick from a squad of 24 players for the crunch game against the Scarlets, who lie one place below them in third spot in the table.
Coach Mike Ruddock is waiting to see whether Hal Luscombe, who is in Wales' Six Nations squad but not in the 22 for Saturday's Six Nations opener against Scotland, will be released to play tomorrow.
And a number of other players have been carrying knocks since the Leinster game last Friday, or earlier.
Among them are skipper Andy Marinos, back row pair Ross Beattie and Jamie Ringer, prop Chris Anthony and winger Gerald Arasa.
New signing Bobby Skinstad is waiting to see whether he starts for the first time for the Dragons or whether he will go on from the bench, as he did against Leinster when he marked his debut with a try.
Llanelli are having similar problems to the Dragons, suffering from injuries, Wales calls and Wales Under-21 team commitments, and are also unable to name a side.
The Dragons are still unbeaten at home in the league, their only Rodney Parade setback coming at the hands of Leicester in the Heineken Cup.
Even if they gain revenge over Llanelli Scarlets for two defeats in September, one in the league and one in the cup, they are unlikely to go top as leaders Ulster are almost certain to beat Neath-Swansea Ospreys at Ravenhill.
But victory would be another major step towards securing Heineken Cup qualification again next season by putting more distance between themselves and the lowest placed Welsh team in the league.
Dragons (from) S Tuipulotu, P Montgomery, B Breeze, N Brew, G Arasa, A Marinos, S Winn, H Luscombe, C Warlow, G Baber, R Jones, A Black, R Snow, S Jones, P Young, C Anthony, R Thomas, I Gough, P Sidoli, R Beattie, J Ringer, S van Rensberg, R Skinstad, J Forster. Kick-off 7pm.
l Llanelli Scarlets wing Salesi Finau has been banned for 21 days after being cited for striking an opponent and will miss tomorrow's clash with the Dragons. Finau was cited by Ulster officials following an incident during last week's Celtic League game in Belfast.
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