WILFRIED Bony is back training with Newport County AFC – but there are no plans for the former Premier League striker to boost their promotion push.

The Ivory Coast front man, who turned 32 in December, helped the Exiles with their preparations for Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Brighton and Hove Albion.

It is a return to Newport for the former Swansea City favourite, who trained with the club from August of 2019 while mulling over his next move.

Bony signed for Al Ittihad last year but in November he revealed that he had mutually agreed to leave the Saudi Professional League side.

His friendship with County boss Michael Flynn has led to him linking up with Newport again and the striker posted a video of a training session on social media.

But while Bony has been given training kit with his initials on, a move to Rodney Parade is unlikely given the wages he can command.

"He's been a joy and he's been a big help with the strikers because he's had a few words with them as well," Flynn said last season.

"He's smashing to have around and if he did turn around and say 'can we do something until the end of the season,' everyone would be delighted.

"But it is not going to happen because of the amount of money Wilf is getting offered or is going to be offered."

His presence will be a boost for the younger members of the squad, with Flynn last week bringing in promising loanees Owen Windsor and Jake Scrimshaw from West Brom and Bournemouth.

“They will bring us goals I hope,” said Flynn. “They both have a very, very good work ethic as we saw with Jake against us this season with Walsall and Owen for Grimsby.

“But they have got to work hard to get in the team. They know that it's a challenge but we want to bring people into the club with the right attitude and these two have got that.”

The boss will hope Bony, whose stunning first spell with the Swans earned a move to Manchester City, can help his forwards find a killer touch in the bid for promotion.

County return to League Two action against Salford at Rodney Parade on Saturday when his options up front will be Padraig Amond, Tristan Abrahams, fit-again Ryan Taylor, Jamie Proctor and the two young loanees.

Experienced Proctor, whose pressure led to the last-gasp equaliser against Brighton, is on loan from Rotherham with that deal due to expire after this weekend’s meeting against the Ammies.

Taylor made his first appearance since October as a second-half substitute against the Seagulls.