MANAGER Denis Smith will be hoping that Craig Morgan's one-match ban this weekend is the last suspension to hit his small squad between now and the end of the season.

The 19-year old central defender picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign against Milton Keynes Dons last Saturday with the result that he sits out the trip to League One play-off contenders Hartlepool United.

With effect from March 1, though, Football League rules mean that players with fewer than five bookings to their name will not now trigger a suspension unless they collect a total of ten cautions before April 10.

In Morgan's case - and that of any other Dragons player who have previously picked up one-match bans - the total number of yellow cards they have received to date during the season still counts towards the ten-game disciplinary mark.

But the dispensation, which kicks in at this stage of the season every year, means the likes of Hector Sam, Matt Crowell and Andy Holt - each of whom has received four cautions so far - will not be treading on eggshells every time they make a challenge.

Morgan's unavailability on Saturday means he is likely to have a run-out for the reserves, who take on Burnley at Newi Cefn Druids' Plaskynaston Lane ground this evening, together with utility man Scott Green, who is back in training following a bout of the flu.

But the Dragons boss - who is still missing seven players through injury - has decided against including Trinidad striker Hector Sam in Joey Jones' squad..

"With Chris Armstrong almost certain not to be fit this weekend, I can't really afford to risk an injury to Hector," he said. "Some of the younger lads, like Simon Spender, Levi Mackin and Matty Done will be involved but it's going to be a very young and inexperienced line-up."

Long-term casualties Andy Dibble and Brian Carey have received mixed news following further hospital visits at the start of the week.

The veteran goalkeeper, sidelined with a thigh strain since the turn of the year, has been given the go-ahead to step up his recovery work and could be back in full training as early as the end of this week.

But Carey, whose rehabilitation work began last week, has been told by a specialist not to overdo things and it could be four weeks before he starts thinking about kicking a ball in anger.

Wrexham's LDV Vans Trophy area final opponents, Oldham Athletic, yesterday appointed former Rotherham boss Ronnie Moore as the successor to Brian Talbot, who has left the Boundary Park club by mutual consent.

The Dragons entertain Oldham twice in the space of five days next week, defending a 5-3 lead from the first leg of their bid to become Millennium Stadium finalists on Tuesday evening before a League One relegation battle on Saturday week.

Racecourse boss Smith said: "It's good to see Ronnie back in a job because I think he did a great job at Rotherham, although I also know Brian well and now he's out of work.

"Ronnie will want to change things - all new managers do - but what effect his appointment will have next week remains to be seen.

"At the moment the LDV Vans match is not my highest priority because we have a game at Hartlepool first."