YORK City Knights will welcome back three dual-reg aces from Hull KR on Sunday for their tough Betfred League One trip to Newcastle Thunder.

It means head coach James Ford, despite still being without crocked central star Brad Hey, faces difficult selection decisions across the field, admitting players not in the 19-man squad had strong cases for inclusion.

In again from Rovers come Matty Marsh, who will re-form his half-back partnership with the in-form Connor Robinson, centre Will Oakes and prop Josh Johnson. All three have played previously this season but were needed on Humberside last weekend for the injury-hit Robins' busy Easter period.

Full-back Ash Robson is also fit again, with these four added to the 17 on duty in last week's tight win at previously unbeaten Doncaster - minus veteran winger Tommy Saxton, whose 2018 debut was curtailed by injury, and on loan St Helens hooker Aaron Smith.

Oakes' return allows Joe Batchelor to revert to second-row and, in turn, for Will Jubb to be replacement hooker in Smith's stead.

Ford still has to decide whether Robson goes straight back in, given the form of the other backs, and which of the packmen to omit.

Said the head coach of his nice headache: "I think you could argue a very strong case for everyone in that 19 - and outside that 19 - to be in the 17, if not the starting 13.

"That's the situation we've been trying to develop and the one we want to be in if we are to be as consistent as we're striving to be through 26 rounds of what is shaping up to be a really competitive League One."

There is no place in Newcastle's 19-man squad again for Heworth product Tyler Craig but former Knights skipper Jack Aldous will be in the home pack, alongside ex-York forward Rhys Clarke, now a Thunder stalwart.

Young Castleford Tigers centre Tuoyo Egodo, who had a brief injury-curtailed loan spell at Bootham Crescent last year, is now on loan up there.

Thunder - whose only league loss so far has been a two-point reverse to Doncaster - could field the same 17 that won 32-18 at Coventry last week. Dan Turland and Ben Calland are also in their 19, Tom Capper left out.

Ford said of the Thunder threat: "We're expecting another tough game. Newcastle have got some really talented individuals who have the ability to cause us problems if we don't hit our standards.

"(Tee) Ritson at full-back and Lewis Young can score from anywhere and we need to be aware of their threat.

"They've got some power in their outside backs in Egodo and (Mo) Agoro, who give them some punch, so our attitude needs to be spot on, and they've got some graft in the middle with the likes of (Aaron) Ollett and Jack Aldous.

"They are better than last year and they will be right up for this game in front of their own fans. We'll have to be at our best."

Knights: from Moss, Robson, Cockayne, Normington, Oakes, Mazive, Marsh, C Robinson, Horne, Ellis, Johnson, Batchelor, Scott, Spears, Jubb, Ronan Dixon, Porter, A Robinson, Siddons.

Newcastle (probable): Ritson, Blair, Egodo, Brown, Agoro, Shaw, Young, McAvoy, Simons, Rennie, Luckley, Ollett, J Aldous. Subs: from Pointer, Clarke, H Aldous, Fitzsimmons, Luckley, Calland, Turland.