CAPTAIN Chris Smith is unlikely to feature in York City’s Blue Square Bet Premier clash at Newport County tonight.

Smith did not travel to South Wales with his team-mates yesterday due to illness and is not expected to recover in time to make the 7.45pm kick off at Spytty Park.

The ex-Tamworth defender has been in commanding form over the past two months but City are well stocked in the centre-back department with Dan Parslow, Ben Gibson, Jamal Fyfield and David McGurk all contenders to partner Chris Doig against the Exiles.

City boss Gary Mills said: “Chris Smith hasn’t travelled because of illness.

“We’re leaving it open to see if he can join up with us later today but that’s not likely.

“We will be disappointed to lose Chris because he has been a colossus over the last ten games or so but we have cover in the centre-back area. There’s Jamal Fyfield, Ben Gibson and Dan Parslow, while Dave McGurk has also travelled with us so we’ve got options.”

Fyfield has returned to training after missing Friday’s 2-1 victory over Luton and could also challenge for the left-back role filled by Gibson at Kenilworth Road.

The Minstermen, meanwhile, will need to contend with a poor playing surface and temporary floodlighting in South Wales tonight after County failed in an attempt to switch their remaining games this season to Rodney Parade – the home of Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons.

But Mills is backing his team to cope with any adverse conditions, saying: “We’ve proven what a good team we are this season no matter what the pitch is like, how far we are travelling and which players are available or not.

“We are good enough to overcome everything and can’t worry about any obstacles that are put in our way.

“People told me the pitch at Bath was poor but it was one of the best we’ve played on all season.

“We’re used to difficult surfaces as well because our training ground is hard and bobbly.”

This evening’s encounter is the first of three meetings between the two clubs, culminating in their FA Trophy final showdown on May 12.

Newport also visit Bootham Crescent in the league a week on Saturday but, on the significance of tonight’s match in relation to the showcase Wembley clash, Mills said: “I don’t think it will enter anybody’s minds that we’ve got to show Newport that we can beat them at Wembley.

“We are concentrating fully on getting in the play-offs and trying to finish third in the table, as we’ve proven over the last couple of games.

“And, if we win tonight, both of those targets remain in our own hands.”