GRAHAM Westley wants his senior pros to help their youngster teammates through what is sure to be a bruising encounter with Barnet tomorrow night.

The Newport County AFC manager was critical of young defenders Jazzi Barnum-Bobb and Kyle Cameron after Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to League Two leaders Plymouth Argyle.

It was a result that left County six points adrift at the foot of the table and seven points from safety, albeit with two games in hand.

The first of those is tomorrow’s home clash with fellow strugglers Barnet.

Westley will be without goalkeeper Joe Day as he serves a one-match ban following his red card against Plymouth.

Strikers Lenell John-Lewis and Marlon Jackson are also ruled out due to injury, along with defender Jamie Turley and midfielder Joss Labadie.

Centre-back Darren Jones and top scorer Jon Parkin are also doubtful after picking up injuries on Saturday.

But experienced right-back Paul Bignot could return in place of Barnum-Bobb and Westley wants the older players to play a big role as the Exiles aim to fight their way out of the bottom two.

Speaking after Saturday’s defeat, the manager said: “Biggy trained this week and it’s just Joss Labadie and Jamie Turley [and long-term absentee John-Lewis] who were unavailable of the senior players.

“We’ll start to get them back. We need that little bit of extra experience, that’s obvious.

“We’ve got a lot of young players with Jazzi and Kyle, [Josh] Sheehan, Reece Grego-Cox and [Jordan] Green.

“There’s a lot of youth there and I think some of the senior players can take the load off them and help the few that do play to play with that little bit more confidence.”

With that in mind the Exiles boss will be hoping that Jones and Parkin will be fit to play but he knows he can’t take any risks with the veteran duo.

“They will be doubts,” he said on Saturday. “Parky had to come off with a niggle and Jonah got through the game but we thought he was going to have to come off at half-time.

“He got assessed by the doctor but he carried himself through the second half magnificently.

“He’s bound to suffer a reaction. Age is not on their side for either of them and at that age you’ve got to look after them because you don’t want to turn niggles into strains that could keep them out for weeks or months.

“We have to be clever with the way we handle them.”

On Jackson, he added: “Jacko strained a hammy last weekend [at Yeovil Town].

“He obviously tried to put in a big shift for us and he’s got a little tweak.

“He wasn’t too far away from training with us this week and he should be back probably for next weekend.”