CARETAKER boss Ceri Jones is confident the Dragons have the depth to cope with the loss of another prop in Sunday’s Guinness PRO14 derby against the Ospreys.

Tighthead Lloyd Fairbrother faces a suspension after being sent off in the first half of Friday’s agonising 19-16 loss to Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park after he caught opposition number Dillon Lewis in the head with his elbow when clearing out a ruck.

The front row forward faces a disciplinary hearing on Thursday but the region are braced for a suspension.

The Dragons are already without Wales tighthead Leon Brown (thumb) and influential front rower Brok Harris (knee), who can play on both sides of the scrum.

It means that Ryan Bevington and Aaron Jarvis, summer recruits from Bristol and Clermont Auvergne respectively, are set to play either side of hooker Elliot Dee against their former region at Rodney Parade this weekend.

“Lloyd will be disappointed in himself,” said forwards coach Jones. “But that’s where Bernard (Jackman, former head coach) made some good signings around the front row to give us some cover.

“It looks like it will be an opportunity for someone else and we will see who stands up (along with Jarvis).

"There's Nicky Thomas, Dan Suter and young Chris Coleman, who has been doing very well with Ebbw Vale, so we will see who puts their hand up to be next.”

The Ospreys won the west Wales derby against the Scarlets 19-12 at the Liberty Stadium thanks to a try by former Dragons wing Luke Morgan and 14 points from the boot of fly-half Sam Davies.

“They have a lot of good players and it will be a huge challenge physically,” said Jones. “They come pretty direct at you but play like we did against the Blues and it should be a very good game.”