TOWN could be without three of their first-choice players to choose from for their Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash with Newport County tomorrow.

Although Town boss Mark Cooper is reluctant to change his increasingly-successful formula, he will be forced to go without Raphael Branco and Massimo Luongo through injury, plus Yaser Kasim, through suspension.

Branco and Luongo’s knocks are not serious enough to rule them out long term, but a fixture with a side from the league below perhaps represents the best opportunity for them to rest ahead of Saturday’s trip to Barnsley.

However, those enforced changes mean seven of Saturday’s eight remaining starters will have to play tomorrow. That or a number of their replacements will retain their places for the weekend, in order to comply with JPT rules about resting players.

Cooper said of the selection situation: “Mass (Luongo) had stitches in his knee, when he was brought down for the penalty he had like a bullet wound in his knee that had to be stitched.

"Rafa (Branco) has got a problem a sore groin and Yaser (Kasim) is suspended. There’s three of the outfield players that we can’t use, that only leaves eight and six of them have got to play.

“The rules of the competition we have to play six of the starting line-up from Saturday have to play (tonight). Or six players have to play at Barnsley that will play (tonight).”

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