NEWPORT County AFC manager Graham Westley will tell his players to put thoughts of a potential FA Cup trip to Liverpool out of their minds tonight as they focus on moving out of the League Two relegation zone.

Last night’s third round draw produced the prize of a January trip to Anfield for the winners of next week’s replay at Rodney Parade between County and Plymouth Argyle.

But Westley’s men host Stevenage tonight knowing that they will climb out of the bottom two if they avoid defeat against his former side.

The Exiles will be without Sean Rigg tonight but the return of Darren Jones and Paul Bignot from suspension gives Westley a selection headache in defence.

Rigg starts a three-match ban after Westley decided not to appeal against the red card the midfielder received during Saturday’s cup clash at Plymouth Argyle.

But defenders Jones and Bignot are available and Westley must decide whether to recall one or both or to stick with captain Scot Bennett and new signing Abdoulaye Meite, who formed an effective partnership in central defence at Home Park.

“I think Meite was a credit to the profession [on Saturday],” said the manager.

“To have been out for as long as he has, to come in for training for a couple of weeks, to have one reserve game and a few difficult minutes at Blackpool where he looked ring-rusty beyond belief and to come in and perform as he did was a credit to himself and to the profession.

“I backed his experience, his calibre and his professionalism and it says everything about why he’s an international footballer.”

But Westley could reinstate Jones to the starting XI alongside Bennett if he feels Meite is not ready to put his body on the line again so soon after Saturday.

“At 36 he’s played his first 90 minutes in a first team shirt in a big game and it takes a lot out of you,” he said.

“When you haven’t got a lot in you and you take a lot out of you there obviously has to be some doubt around that.

“There’s a wisdom that says don’t go again and there’s also the feeling you’ve got to get from the player as to whether he’s right.”

Westley said both Jones, who was suspended for one match after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season at Blackpool, and Bignot, who served a six-game ban for biting an opponent, are ready to play if needed.

“Jonah played for a while on that fourth card and a defender can’t really be a defender when he’s treading on eggshells,” he said.

“He had a couple of days off last week, got himself together after the suspension and he trained brilliantly at the back end of last week.

“And Biggy has been working phenomenally hard. I gave him some physical targets to attain while he was out.

“He had to get some massive improvement in to achieve them and on Friday he actually achieved every goal that I’d set him physically.

“It’s terrific to see a player who’s really kept himself in the right shape while he’s been away from action.

“Both of them I wouldn’t hesitate to play if I needed to.”