NEWPORT County AFC manager Graham Westley believes midfielder Mitch Rose should be free to play against his former club Mansfield Town on Saturday.

Rose was sent off in stoppage time at Cambridge United last weekend as County went down to a 3-2 defeat.

That red card was subsequently overturned on appeal, meaning he could play in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Morecambe at Rodney Parade.

But the 22-year-old could still be punished by the Football Association for knocking the card out of the hands of referee Trevor Kettle at the Cambs Glass Stadium.

That would be unjust according to Westley, who defended his player.

“It’s one of those really odd situations,” said the Exiles boss. “We can all see what’s happened; Mitch has clearly thrown a hand at the decision, he’s not thrown a hand at the ref.

“He’s thrown a hand at the decision as if to say ‘you must be kidding me’ and I think we all understand how you throw your hand away at a decision.

“We’ve all thrown a hand when we’re talking and the ref is in his personal space when that happens and there’s a collision (below).

South Wales Argus:

“I think we can all see that he doesn’t go at the ref, he doesn’t go at the card, there’s just a knocking of hand and arm.

“Will we hear about it? I’m sure we probably will hear about it.

“Will anything come of it? I hope that common sense prevails.”

Westley will welcome Darren Jones back from suspension at Field Mill and Sid Nelson, Scot Bennett, Joss Labadie, Sean Rigg and Josh Sheehan should also be fit to return soon.

“We’re about to get a few lads back,” he said. “We’ll get Jones back [on Saturday] and we’ll have Nelson back, if not at the weekend then certainly the weekend after.

“We’ll be getting Riggy back soon, Labadie back soon and Bennett back soon and Josh Sheehan, who was absent through illness, so we’re going to be stronger – reinforcements are on the way.

“There’s a lot of names there and, if you add them to what we’ve already got, wins don’t seem as if they’re going to be far ahead of us.

“You look at those names and there’s plenty of talent that isn’t with us at the moment that is going to make a difference.

“And the squad is showing now that when we’ve got all that absenteeism we can still win points.”

County lost after leading 2-0 at Cambridge and also gave up a 1-0 lead against Morecambe on Tuesday but Westley does not believe that he needs to lift his players before this weekend.

“I don’t think the players will be down about being seven unbeaten in eight,” he said.

“It was a freak goal that caught the wind and flew in from 50 yards [for Morecambe’s equalizer].

“Stuff happens and I think if you’re made of the right stuff you don’t let things like that get to you and you don’t let decisions get to you.

“Mitch Rose got sent off on Saturday – it’s the wrong decision – and [Mark] Roberts scores from the rebound having been three yards inside the box.

“All those things you could let them get to you and use them as excuses but we’re not doing that – we’re getting back up off the ground and getting on with it.

“We won’t let it get us down, we’ll go into Saturday’s game with a belief and a determination and we’re showing that we’re a tough opponent right now.”