Keeper Day to start for Newport after week to remember

Posted Friday, February 08, 2019 by PA

Goalkeeper Joe Day will take his place in the Newport side for Mansfield’s visit to Rodney Parade.

Day hit the headlines this week when his wife Lizzie went in to labour and gave birth to twin daughters while he was playing in County’s FA Cup fourth-round victory over Middlesbrough.

Exiles boss Michael Flynn will assess the effects of that win on a heavy pitch before finalising selection for Newport’s return to Sky Bet League Two action.

Ben Kennedy, Ade Azeez and Harry McKirdy are all available after being ineligible for the Boro tie, while Fraser Franks (ankle) will be assessed.

Mansfield are troubled by a lengthy list of injuries and defender Ben Turner’s debut may be delayed.

Turner joined from Burton last week with what Stags boss David Flitcroft described as a “10-day injury”, and Mansfield are waiting to see how the centre-half responds to treatment.

Alex MacDonald stepped up his return from a knee injury with a 45-minute outing for the reserves this week.

But Lewis Gibbens (dislocated shoulder) has joined long-term absentees Hayden White (broken leg), Jordan Graham (knee cartilage), Craig Davies (ankle) and Bobby Olejnik (anterior cruciate ligament rupture) on the sidelines.