NEWPORT rugby club have suffered a second damaging pre-season injury blow.

Jason Jones-Hughes, their Australian-born Wales international, has suffered a recurrence of his knee injury and could be out for six weeks.

That means he could be struggling to make Newport's first Heineken Cup game of the season at Zurich Premiership side Newcastle at the end of September.

Already Newport have Wales lock Ian Gough battling to be fit in time for Europe because of a badly injured shoulder he suffered in the Principality Cup final against Neath at the end of last season.

Jones-Hughes initially injured his knee earlier than that - in the crunch league match at Swansea.

That put him out of consideration for a place in the cup final team and, after initially appearing to be making progress during the summer, he has now suffered another setback.

He visited hospital for a scan this week when the surgeon who carried out the initial operation advised him to rest.

And Matthew Watkins, the player bidding with Jones-Hughes for the outside centre position in the Newport team, is also out of Friday night's pre-season friendly against Aberavon at Rodney Parade.

Watkins had been complaining of feeling unwell and was rushed into hospital on Monday when gallstones was diagnosed as the problem. He is now undergoing tests in hospital.

But it is hoped Watkins will be fit for Newport's opening league game of the season against Caerphilly at Rodney Parade a week on Saturday.

Newport are fairly well covered at centre with Andy Marinos and Jonathan Pritchard, as well as emerging pair Hal Luscombe and Nathan Brew.

Two other players who will also miss the Aberavon friendly, although expected to be fit to face Caerphilly, are winger Matt Mostyn and backrow forward Alix Popham.

Mostyn has had a slight knee injury and won't be risked while Popham has not fully recovered from burns he suffered in a domestic accident.