Dai Flanagan will pick the 'best team possible' for the club’s upcoming EPCR Challenge Cup bid – but has vowed to continue managing the workload of all his players during a gruelling period of fixtures.
The Men of Gwent will head to France next Friday to face Section Paloise (kick-off 8pm) before returning home to tackle Emirates Lions at Rodney Parade on Sunday, January 22 (kick-off 1pm).
Dragons sit in sixth place in the European table after two games and qualification for the knockout stages remains in their grasp.
The team could be bolstered by the return of lock Ben Carter with Flanagan set to make a call on the Wales international after an ankle injury.
But the Head Coach will also consider the game time of other players as he looks to navigate a difficult second block of fixtures.
“We will pick the best team that we can,” he said. “I’ve some youngsters that I need to bring through, but we also want to win every game we play.
“Ben Carter will be tough and go. If it’s not Pau then the week after against the Lions, and he is important for us because he is a big man.
“There is a new national coach who I am sure is keen to watch Ben and he wants to get back as quickly as possible.
“He is flying around at the moment, so hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.
“Joe Davies has been unbelievable in this period – he is a diesel engine but at some time you run out of diesel.
“That’s where having Ben back in, after Matthew Screech picked up a knock at the Scarlets, we need people like Ben back.
“Ross (Moriarty) is fantastic for us but he was running on fumes, like the majority are,” he added.
“George Nott could hardly walk, we had no choice but to bring him off. “Ross was ill over Christmas, and I love that his dad is quite tough on him and was telling him to get on with it, I probably protect him more than his dad does!
“His effort was outstanding, and he will be ready to go again soon.”
One player who will not travel to France is Angus O’Brien with Flanagan revealing the full back will not feature in the coming games.
“Angus will be stepped down for the block after two concussions in three weeks. He is fine in himself but it’s a decision that I am making more than him,” he said.
“As much as he is getting through the concussion protocols, we will make a decision to stand him down so that he comes back stronger after the next couple of games.”
