NEWPORT'S Welsh international lock Ian Gough has been ruled out of action for six weeks and is set to miss the first three competitive games of the season.

But the club are hoping former All Blacks scrum-half Ofisah Tonu'u will be fit for the new campaign, though they won't know for certain until Monday.

Both players went for scans yesterday and surgeon Greg Jones said Gough needed a minor op for a lower back problem under local anaesthetic, which will not require a hospital stay.

But he felt Tonu'u's problem might simply be excess fluid on the knee and the scrum-half will have another scan on Monday after receiving an injection and anti-inflammatory drugs.

However, if an operation is deemed necessary, he too could then face a lengthy lay-off. Newport team manager Jim McCreedy said: "It sounds a bit better news about Ofisah Tonu'u and if the treatment works he may only be out for around ten days, but we'll know more after Monday.

"Ian Gough had a back problem throughout the last international season and had intensive treatment through the early summer. But, when he stepped up training and went on the weights, he was still troubled in the same area.

"He'll be back in full training after six weeks, so he'll probably miss the first two or three games." Those are against Bridgend at home on Friday August 30 (7.05pm), Pontypridd away on Saturday September 7 (8pm) and Glasgow at home on Saturday September 14, all in the Celtic League.