DRUIDS go into their final pre-season friendly at Llandudno tomorrow with joint player-managers Lee Jones and Waynne Phillips facing a selection headache.

No fewer than 11 players will be unavailable for the game, which is just six days ahead of the season opener against The New Saints.

With Mike Heverin, Andrew Edgar and Darren Williams away and long term casualties Osian Jones and Matthew Cook still a while off from action, Jones and Phillips are also likely to be without the services of Gareth Roberts, Ricky Evans, Ricky Wright, Geraint Lewis, Gerrard Maloney and Leighton Roberts.

The management duo will be looking for an improvement on Tuesday’s night performance when The Ancients fell to a 4-2 defeat at Cymru Alliance side Prestatyn Town.

Phillips said: “It was certainly one to forget. We’ve been trying to look at the positives, but the only plus we could get was the performance of Kevin Holsgrove.”

The young left winger was impressive in the 45 minutes he was given at Prestatyn, and he is likely to get a longer run out tomorrow.

Referring back to Tuesday’s defeat, Phillips added: “There are going to be a lot of rough patches and we have to take the rough with the smooth.

“Prestatyn were a good side and we caught them on a good night, while we had a bad night.

“We explained that certain things weren’t acceptable and that performance, myself included as I was part of it, wasn’t acceptable.

“But, as we have said in the past, we don’t look too much into pre-season. We’ll have a better idea as to where we are six-ten games into the season.”

With the likelihood of a depleted squad for tomorrow’s game, Phillips said that the game at Llandudno would be an ideal opportunity for those that take part in the game.

“Whoever starts on Saturday,” he said, “will get a good chance to perform and stake their claim to play against The New Saints.

“It’s disappointing to be without so many players as the plan was to get close to a starting 11 for next Friday. But that is now impossible.

“We have always said players will get selected on their performances and if those not chosen don’t want to fight for their place then they can go elsewhere.”