WALES centre Hal Luscombe and hooker Steve Jones are almost certainly both out of the Newport Gwent Dragons team for tomorrow night's key Celtic League derby against Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade.

Luscombe is still struggling after injuring his chest in the Dragons' last home game against Munster while Jones had to go off against Connacht on Saturday with a shoulder injury.

Coach Paul Turner is likely to stick with the pairing of Ceri Sweeney and Jon Bryant in the centre in the absence of an out-and-out number 13 replacement for Luscombe, while Andrew Brown is standing by to start instead of Jones.

The rest of the team is likely to remain unchanged as the Dragons bid to get back on track after the disappointing defeat against bottom team Connacht.

The game against their biggest rivals now assumes even greater importance in the chase for automatic Heineken Cup qualifying places for next season.

The Blues, with four successive victories behind them, are now in pole position though Llanelli Scarlets, who face the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium tonight, have games in hand.

The Dragons need to beat the Blues if they are to have a chance of securing that automatic place.

They trail the Ospreys by six points but have a game in hand and they have their second four points for a free weekend to come, whereas the Ospreys have had both theirs so a big turnaround remains possible.

The Dragons will also seek to avoid conceding the double against their nearest neighbours having lost 41-23 at the Arms Park on December 27.

"We see tomorrow night as a chance to redress the balance from our defeat over Christmas which particularly hurt us," said Turner.

"We weren't in good shape then, but we've got a proud home record and we will be looking to our supporters, like against Munster, to get fully behind us."

And Turner warned: "The players need to take a good, hard look at themselves after Saturday's performance against Connacht."

The Blues have also suffered a double injury blow, losing winger Jonah Lomu (ankle) and flanker Andy Powell (thumb), and are expecting to face a fully committed Dragons.

"They always give 150 per cent especially at home against us," said director of rugby David Young.

And in-form centre Jamie Robinson said: "They'll be up for it, no doubt about it. We haven't got the best of records there and it's always a hard place to go."

Dragons squad: A Thomas, G Wyatt, H Luscombe, J Bryant, C Sweeney, N Brew, B Breeze, C Warlow, G Baber, J Ireland, A Black, D Maddocks, S Jones, A Brown, R Thomas, G Robinson, C Anthony, I Gough, L Charteris, P Sidoli, J Ringer, A Hall, R Oakley, M Owen, J Forster (captain).

Cardiff Blues (probable): R Williams, C Czekaj, J Robinson, M Stcherbina, J Robinson, C Morgan, N Robinson, M Phillips, J Yapp, R Thomas or D Goodfield, D Jones, R Sidoli, K Schubert or R Sowden-Taylor, X Rush, M Williams.