NEWPORT Gwent Dragons boss Lyn Jones says he won't delve into the transfer market in search of a quick fix to his midfield problems.

Ashley Smith is the Dragons' only fit specialist centre for Saturday's Guinness Pro12 game against Edinburgh at Murrayfield.

On-loan Ben John suffered a hamstring strain against the Scarlets last week and will return to the Ospreys while Pat Leach, Jack Dixon, Tyler Morgan and Ross Wardle are all sidelined.

Full-back/wing Tom Prydie covered at 13 in West Wales and is favourite to do so again in Scotland while Lee Byrne, Aled Brew and Hallam Amos are other options.

The Dragons have looked at what is available on the market but have decided to stick with what they have got until their centres start to return in November.

"There's nothing out there that I think will be any better than what we have got with players out of position," said Jones.

"We just need to wait for our centres to come back rather than making a big investment that hamstrings the company. We need to do our best in the short term.

"It's not a case of money, it's a case of talent. The ITM Cup (in New Zealand) and Currie Cup (in South Africa) are on at the moment, so there aren't players available and if they are then it's for a reason."

The Dragons welcome back lock/back row forward Andrew Coombs for the trip to Scotland following his three-week ban for catching Wales teammate Alun Wyn Jones on the head with his boot at a ruck while Matthew Pewtner is set for a first appearance of the season on the wing.

However, hooker Rhys Thomas suffered a blow to the head in the 26-13 loss to the Scarlets and will undergo concussion tests. If he fails to get the green light then Hugh Gustafson will back up Elliot Dee.

The Dragons have a sizeable injury list and are stretched at lock as well as centre but Jones says that was no excuse for their dismal performance at Parc y Scarlets.

"The injuries weren't the problem, it was the individual errors," he said. "We need to pull together and improve our performance because Edinburgh is another game that is well within our reach."