NEWPORT County AFC will be without defender Kevin Feely for this weekend’s trip to Carlisle United – meaning a call-up from the youth team for Wales under-17s star Regan Poole.

But manager Justin Edinburgh is boosted by the return from loan of striker Christian Jolley and Rene Howe’s rapid rehabilitation from a thigh injury.

Feely is out with a suspected broken finger following a freak training ground accident and Poole is expected to travel with the first team squad tomorrow.

The 16-year-old, who has already attracted the attention of Manchester United and Fulham this season, has not played for the first team since the Johnstone Paints Trophy defeat to Swindon Town in September.

“Kevin Feely had an incident in training with his finger,” said Edinburgh.

“He lost his footing and snapped his finger back as he broke his fall.

“It looks like it is broken and we’re pretty sure he’s going to need an operation to fix that so he’ll be out certainly in the short term.

“That means Regan Poole will be called upon again and we know he’s more than capable of filling in.

“It’s great that we’ve got that talent in the youth team to call upon.”

Midfielder Mike Flynn is still out with a hamstring strain but Jolley is back from loan at Forest Green Rovers and fellow striker Howe is nearing a return with his ruptured thigh muscle healing quicker than expected.

“Rene is now back in training, which is a real boost for us and a big positive for Rene,” said the Exiles boss.

“When the injury was first diagnosed we thought we were going to lose him for the whole season.

“Credit to Rene because he’s worked tremendously hard to get back out on the pitch and hopefully he’s not too far away now.”

Edinburgh is keen to sign goalkeeper Joe Day in January and would also like to extend Curtis Obeng’s loan from Swansea City beyond mid-December but any other activity would need to be funded by current players moving on.

“In terms of finances we’re pretty much on the line,” said Edinburgh.

“Christian Jolley has returned now and Shaun Jeffers is back as well and it’s about getting through the next four or five games and seeing where we are when that window opens.

“If we do bring people in then people might move on. I have no specific people in mind but we want to keep striving to get better and we’ve always got to be looking to improve.”

Jolley played seven games during his loan spell at Forest Green Rovers without finding the net.

Rovers boss Ady Pennock told the Gloucester Citizen: “I would like to thank him for his time and to Newport for lending him to us.

“It just hasn’t worked out so he will be going back.”