Matty Jacob returns to training ahead of Newport County's FA Cup tie

Newport County defender Matty Jacob has resumed training before Saturday's FA Cup match against Walsall, providing a lift for a team facing other injury issues.

Matty Jacob is back in training with Newport County prior to their upcoming FA Cup first-round match this Saturday against Walsall. The defender, on loan from Hull City, had been a regular starter until a hamstring problem sidelined him after a recent draw. His return is a boost for a side sitting 14th in League Two with 18 points from 14 games, having recorded four wins, six draws and four losses.

Manager Hayden Mullins has regained an important defensive player. The return comes at a useful time for the team, which is positioned in the middle of the League Two table. Their recent performances have been inconsistent, with one win, two draws and two losses in their last five league and cup outings, leaving them 13 points behind the leaders.

Injury concerns affect squad depth

Jacob's availability is balanced by other fitness problems in the group. Loan player Matt Dibley-Dias has gone back to his home club for recovery. Attacker Michael Adu-Poku, who provided an assist in the 4-1 victory over Chesterfield on Friday 30 October, was substituted as a precaution in that recent victory, and Aaron Lewis played only part of a midweek EFL Trophy game.

James Crole, who found the net in that trophy match, a 1-2 defeat to Crystal Palace U21 on Tuesday 3 November, needed treatment for an ankle issue afterward. Mullins expressed hope that Dibley-Dias and attacker Tivonge Nyakuhwa could be available again later in the year.

The manager must assess Jacob's readiness for the Walsall fixture. Newport then faces a challenging away league game. That next league fixture is against Crewe on Saturday 14 November, a side currently fourth in the table. The team's resources are set to be challenged in both cup and league action soon. Newport's season has seen them score 20 goals while conceding 17, and they will look to improve on a recent run that included a 1-0 win over Colchester, a 1-1 draw with York, a 2-2 draw at Rotherham, a 1-0 loss at Cheltenham, and the 4-1 win against Chesterfield before the most recent Trophy defeat.