NEWPORT County AFC will be without captain Matty Dolan and midfielder Ed Upson for tomorrow's League Two trip to Colchester United.

Exiles manager James Rowberry will be forced into at least two changes to the XI that drew 1-1 at Crawley on Tuesday night.

Defender Dolan suffered a head injury at the start of the second half and will miss the trip to Essex while going through concussion protocols.

Midfielder Upson will be suspended for the second time this season.

The 31-year-old had a one-game ban after being red-carded for deliberate handball against Carlisle and will sit out the clash in Colchester after picking up his fifth booking of the league campaign in Crawley.

A pair of stalwarts are in contention to replace the duo; Robbie Willmott is available after testing positive for coronavirus while Scot Bennett has been an unused sub in the last two games after nine weeks out with a foot injury.

South Wales Argus: INFLUENTIAL: Scot BennettINFLUENTIAL: Scot Bennett

“Scot is very, very low maintenance but very high-performing at the level we are at,” said Rowberry. “He brings a steeliness to us that we will utilise in due course.

“I've gone to two systems at the moment - 3-5-2 and 4-1-3-2. I can see Scot playing any of the three centre-back roles or any of the three midfield roles depending on state of the game and style of opposition.

"We have got a little bit of flexibility tactically. I spoke to Paul Trollope yesterday, who had watched a few games of us, and he said that our flexibility within games is evident.

"I am lucky about the education that the players had before under Wayne (Hatswell, assistant manager) and Michael (Flynn, previous boss) in terms of flexibility and it's now about me adding to that.”

Rowberry could recall striker Courtney Baker-Richardson after he was a sub in Crawley due to a heavy workload and his injury history.