NEWPORT County AFC centre-back James Clarke is out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in the 1-0 defeat to Mansfield.

The 34-year-old defender went down just past the hour of the clash with the Stags at Rodney Parade and will miss the last 11 games of the campaign.

Clarke, who made 32 appearances this season, joins fellow central defenders Ryan Delaney (knee) and Josh Seberry (broken leg) on the sidelines.

The experienced defender will miss tomorrow’s trip to promotion-chasing Stockport and, if the Exiles stick with 3-5-2, that could lead to midfielder Scot Bennett dropping back to the heart of the defence in between Kyle Jameson, who is on the comeback trail from a hip injury, and Matt Baker.

Declan Drysdale is another option after made his first appearance since November when coming on for Clarke, but the Merseysider will be short of match sharpness.

Influential right-back Shane McLoughlin’s season is likely to be over after he limped off at MK Dons at the end of last month with a calf tendon injury.

“His season looks as though it’s over, if we get him back a week or two before the end then that’s a bonus,” said manager Graham Coughlan. “You are looking at the best part of seven or eight weeks until he gets back out on the grass.”

That leaves Southampton loanee Lewis Payne and teenager Harrison Bright as the main options down the right; the former started against Mansfield and the latter came on for him.

County striker Omar Bogle is still a few weeks off a return from a muscular leg injury while Seberry, who suffered a broken right fibula at Notts County last November, could be in the mix before the season is done.

The Exiles are stretched by injury and that could lead to opportunities for academy prospects Nelson Sanca and Jac Norris.

South Wales Argus: PROSPECT: County academy defender Nelson SancaPROSPECT: County academy defender Nelson Sanca (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

Central defender Sanca has been an unused substitute on 11 occasions this season while Norris is an attacking midfielder who is getting a first taste of the first team.

The pair both featured in a behind-closed-doors fixture with Bristol Rovers in midweek and are in the mix for Stockport.

“We’ve got a number of players missing again,” said Coughlan. “It won’t beat me and get me down, if one player is missing then it opens the door for another.

“There are one or two lads – Nelson Sanca, Jac Norris – who have come in and will join in with the first-team squad.

“The two lads have been doing well with the youth team and they will benefit from this, they will stay with us between now and the end of the season. Hopefully we will get a good look at them.

“We had a game during the week that they both played in at Bristol and they got some match minutes under their belts.

“We had a really young, vibrant, energetic team that went across there with a couple of seniors. It was a really good exercise and the two lads showed up really well.

“We will add them to Harrison and Kiban Rai, four academy lads on the grass training with us who we are trying to push along.

“If they look as though they can give us something then they will get a chance but, and I have been consistent with this, we are not going to hand out opportunities.

“They have to earn it but if Tuesday is anything to go by they are heading in the right direction.”