NEWPORT County AFC goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley looks set to play through the pain of a broken thumb against Oxford United but defender Andy Sandell says he is ready to don the gloves if needed.

The former Chelsea stopper sustained the injury in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Burton Albion and regular back-up ‘keeper Jamie Stephens is out with a hamstring injury.

If the game survives the weather County boss Justin Edinburgh is likely to ask Pidgeley to play but defender Sandell insists he is ready to step in if called upon.

“I’ve played everywhere else on the pitch this season so I might as well,” said the 30-year-old.

“It will be a funny aspect playing in goal but if needs must I will.

“I might have to get some practice in training,” he added.

“I’ve played once or twice in goal (in training). The last time was in pre-season on our trip to Germany.

“We only had one keeper because Lenny didn’t go so in five-a-side Jamie Stephens was in one goal and I went in the other.

“I did alright. I’m brave, I throw myself in front of things and I enjoyed it.

“Hopefully I play, I don’t really care where!”

Wherever Sandell lines up he is hoping for a better team performance than the one at Burton.

“Burton deserved to win and could have had a few more,” he said. “We were poor and we got what we deserved.

“We were poor in the warm-up, not enthusiastic, a bit lethargic. I don’t know why. We don’t normally warm-up like that and we took that (attitude) into the game.

“We started quite slowly and just never got going and it was a tough day.

“We played badly but those are the games where you need to dig out a result. I thought we might have got a draw but it was poor marking from us on the set-piece.”

And with the best home record in League Two Sandell is confident of a return to winning ways in what, rainfall permitting, will be County’s first league match at Rodney Parade since December 1.

“We’ve got to bounce back now,” he said. “It’s another massive game. They will bring a few fans down and it should be a good atmosphere.

“We’ve got to do what we should have done against Burton and put in a performance for the fans.

“I felt sorry for them (at Burton) and hopefully against Oxford it will be a different Newport County.

“It’s nice to have a home game and we need to keep going and keep up there with the top seven or eight clubs.”