NEWPORT Gwent Dragons include young prop Phil Price in their squad for the first time in a competitive match for Friday night’s Heineken Cup tie against Glasgow at Rodney Parade.

The strapping 20-year-old, 6ft and 17st, was a member of the Ospreys Academy last season, but was released and joined Premier Division team Bedwas. But he was drafted in by the Dragons and looked promising in the pre-season friendly against Worcester.

He had to go off with a knee injury, however, and has only just returned to fitness which is timely given the Dragons problems at prop.

Ben Castle is out until the new year with a torn bicep and only last week the Dragons drafted in Peter Bracken, the former Wasps Heineken Cup medal winner, from Galwegians where he had been playing amateur rugby.

When Nigel Hall injured a shoulder at Gloucester last Friday, Bracken played for the whole second half, though Gethin Robinson has recovered from a shoulder injury and is also named in the squad, as is Hugh Gustafsen.

Neither Hall nor Ali McKenzie, who damaged a hand at Kingsholm, has been included, though McKenzie is having a scan today to try to determine the full extent of the injury, his hand currently in plaster.

Also missing for the Warriors clash is Tom Willis, who admits he is still not right after tearing a calf muscle in the opening game of the season against Ulster.

Elsewhere, the Dragons are clear of problems with a full strength set of backs named apart from Matthew Watkins, yet to make his debut after a hip operation and an abdominal strain.

Up front, apart from the inclusion of Price and Robinson, lock Adam Jones also returns to the squad.

Coach Paul Turner warns the Dragons to beware the boot of Glasgow outside half Dan Parks, who kicked all 18 points in the narrow 22-18 home defeat by Biarritz last Saturday. “He knows how to play on all football pitches like you wouldn’t believe and you’d put him up there alongside players like Hernandez, Michalak and Elissalde,” he said.

“There's not a lot of tacticians around in Wales, it’s why we’ve got problems with the No 10 job. It’s been coached a different way in the last two decades and we haven’t got players around who are willing to try things.

“That’s the era I grew up in. Good tacticians have that instinct to see things before anyone else, Parks is some player, he has his weaknesses but he does the right things at the right time.

“We are going to have to improve and keep the ball a bit more. We played them four times last season and we play them four times again, they are a similar side to us with a good work ethic and they’ve got Thom Evans back who's one of the quickest.

“We probably caught them on a bit of an off day when we played them earlier in the season, we scored two quick tries and had a bonus point within 50 minutes but they’ll be a tough nut to crack.”

Dragons squad: M Thomas, J Tovey, A Brew, W Harries, R Fussell, T Riley, A Smith, R Davies, J Arlidge, S Connor, W Evans, D Lee, P Price, H Gustafson, S Jones, D Goodfield, G Robinson, P Bracken, A Jones, R Sidoli. L Charteris (captain), H MacDonald, D Lydiate, J Bearman, L Evans, G Thomas, J Harries. Kick off 7.30pm.