FORWARDS Neil Edwards and Leyton Phillips will miss Saturday's Welsh League match against Bridgend after picking up injuries in Tuesday's win over Swansea.

Having only just been announced as Vale's captain for the season, Phillips faces a few weeks out of action after being forced from Tuesday's 16-13 win with a shoulder injury after only ten minutes, but x-rays revealed no serious damage.

Lock Neil Edwards also faces a few weeks off after his shoulder injury flared up against Swansea.

The Wales A cap was bitterly disappointed and is anxiously waiting to see if he will need an operation.

The injuries mean that lock Peter Sidoli and hooker Jon Evans are set to be named in coach Mike Ruddock's starting XV when it is revealed tomorrow afternoon, but the Steelmen will otherwise field virtually the same side as on Tuesday night.

After South African Ockert Booyse played well against Swansea, Chay Billen is unlikely to break his way into the starting XV with Sidoli replacing Edwards as a middle of the line jumper.

But Ruddock said he was following the old adage, 'if it aint broke, don't fix it' by naming a virtually unchanged side to face Bridgend.

Dropped number eight Will Thomas is likely to win a place on the replacements' bench, while scrum-half Andrew Bevan can consider himself unlucky to miss out

With Phillips injured, the captaincy is expected to be given back to prop Adam Black, the man of the match against Swansea.

Bridgend may be putting on free coaches from the Brewery Field for their fans, but their team can expect a real battle as the Steelmen look for revenge after they had a likely winning kick charged down on Bridgend's last visit to Eugene Cross Park.

Ebbw Vale (probable): R Davies, N Wakely, P Matthews, A Takarangi, M Meenan, B Shelbourne, A Black, L Phillips, M Jones, O Booyse, P Sidoli, R Williams, P Williams, K Tuipulotu.