HEAD coach Kingsley Jones has urged Newport Gwent Dragons' young guns to play without fear when the injury-hit region takes on Ulster in Belfast on Saturday.

The Dragons are down to the bare bones for the Guinness Pro12 encounter at Ravenhill (kick-off 7.35pm) because of a lengthy injury list and Wales call-ups for Taulupe Faletau, Hallam Amos and Tom Prydie.

The region is already without locks Andrew Coombs (knee), Ian Gough (shoulder), Cory Hill (ankle), Matthew Screech (shoulder) and Joe Davies (shoulder) and centres Pat Leach (knee), Tyler Morgan (knee), Jack Dixon (wrist) and Ross Wardle (knee).

They will also be without captain Lee Byrne for the trip to Belfast after the full-back suffered a hip injury against Newcastle last Friday while late calls will be made on centre Ashley Smith (dead leg) and flankers Lewis Evans (calf) and Nic Cudd (swollen leg).

"We are training without three players that we hope will start so preparation has been hampered," said head coach Kingsley Jones, who was relieved when number eight Andy Powell overcame a bump to take a full part in yesterday's session.

"We are going to be without lots of players for Ulster but the positive thing is that lots of young boys will get opportunities.

"(Flanker) James Benjamin has got a good chance of coming into the team, (flanker) Ollie Griffiths has a good chance of coming into the squad and so does (lock) Scott Andrews.

"They have to go to Ulster without fear and give it a go. It doesn't come any more intimidating that Ravenhill but I've always had the philosophy, whether as a player or coach, that away from home you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

"We went to Stade Francais with the approach of enjoying ourselves and we won so we have to do the same at Ulster.

"It's going to be a huge test in a tough environment but we are going to learn an awful lot about our young players."

Fly-half Angus O'Brien has been declared fit after overcoming a blow to the head and on-loan Carmarthen Quins centre Rhys Williams is set to be thrown straight in at the deep end.

Geraint Rhys Jones and Jason Tovey are options at Byrne's deputy because Prydie and Amos are with the Wales while Aled Brew is likely to return on the wing.

The Dragons' trip to Belfast is followed by away encounters at Harlequins and the Ospreys in the LV= Cup and they hope that a number of players will be back in contention for the Pro12 clash with Munster on at Rodney Parade on November 21.

Morgan is close to a return while the locks are all poised to return around the same time – Davies is back in training, Coombs should return soon while Hill and Gough are two to three weeks away.

"There's light at the end of the tunnel and Munster's the golden game for us," said Jones. "Ideally players need a week's full training before they return and we are in a position now where we are trying to push people on."