Wales captain Michael Owen and teammate Ian Gough are set to return for Newport Gwent Dragons in Friday night's must-win Celtic League game against Heineken Cup semi-finalists Munster at Rodney Parade.

Neither has played for the Dragons since before the Six Nations Championship, their last appearance being against Castres on January 21.

Owen led Wales for the last three matches against Ireland, Italy and France after Gareth Thomas suffered a damaged artery in his neck which is now likely to rule him out for the rest of the season.

Gough regained his place in the Welsh team during the November internationals, playing against South Africa and Australia, retaining his place right through the Six Nations to take his number of caps to 30, earning unstinting praise from coach Scott Johnson into the bargain.

With Owen now on 33 caps, the experience of the pair will be vital against Munster as the Dragons go in search of the win that could lift them three places up the table and improve their chances of automatic qualification for next season's Heineken Cup.

They are on 30 points, seven ahead of bottom team Connacht, who they meet in Galway a week Saturday, just one behind Glasgow with two matches in hand, and three behind the Ospreys with one game in hand.

The Scottish team have also got their full eight points for two missing weekends compared with the Dragons' four points for one missing weekend.

The Dragons could also have wing Gareth Wyatt back in their ranks for Friday's game after suffering a stress fracture of the shin which ruled him out of Wales' sevens squad for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

It means the Dragons are getting back to full strength after a spate of injuries right through the season, the only major absentees now being Wales pair Kevin Morgan and Gareth Cooper, both out for the season.

The Dragons haven't lost at home since before Christmas, winning four games in a row at Rodney Parade, whereas Munster have lost their last two league matches against Glasgow and Ulster, who beat the Dragons at Ravenhill in their last fixture.