NEWPORT County’s players have been warned they are facing a mini pre-season with no game for the Exiles in the next fortnight.

County are firing on all cylinders in League Two and have advanced to the play-off spots, their 31 point haul from 19 games exactly the same tally as they had this time last term.

However, a lack of involvement in the FA Cup means a free weekend for the Exiles and with no midweek fixtures scheduled for this week or next, Newport now don’t play again until hosting Stevenage at Rodney Parade on Saturday, December 13.

And while assistant manager Jimmy Dack admits to a degree of frustration at an imposed absence with the amber army bang on form, he’s confident not a minute will be wasted as the Exiles prepare for the Christmas rush of fixtures and a big improvement in the New Year.

“We are viewing this fortnight as a mini pre-season although the boys aren’t going to be getting a big sunshine break,” Dack told the Argus.

“We are obviously aware of how things started to go for us last year and we’ve got everything as we want it at the moment with the boys ready for a couple of weeks of hard work on the training pitch to keep us as sharp as possible.”

The Exiles are working with a sports scientist at present and fitness and conditioning coach Tony James is set for a lead role on the paddock with all players also being scrutinized with heart monitors.

County are wary of overworking their players and picking up muscular injuries and have also targeted the next fortnight to get injured players back to full strength.

Midfielders Mark Byrne and Adam Chapman, defender Kevin Feely and strikers Danny Crow and Rene Howe are all dealing with varying issues and should all be back in contention for Stevenage other than Howe who is said to be making great progress from a ruptured thigh muscle, the early prognosis of it being season ending set to be wide of the mark.

“We’ve got some niggles, we’ve obviously got Rene battling hard to get back and all those boys have a good chance to step up their rehabilitation now,” Dack confirmed.

The Exiles are also beginning in earnest their plans for the January transfer window, hopeful that for the first time since 2010 they won’t be forced into selling an asset to a bigger club, having forced done so with Danny Rose in 2011, Lee Evans in 2012 and Conor Washington in 2013.

“The gaffer has his plans in place and he’ll no doubt be getting cracking over the next fortnight,” Dack said.

“You can’t rest on your laurels just because things are going well at the moment. If you stand still, you go backwards and as such we constantly need to strive to push this club forward.”

BLOB Meanwhile, Newport County boss Justin Edinburgh and striker Aaron O’Connor have been nominated for League Two manager and player of the month awards, respectively.

The winners will be announced on Friday.