LEE Jones has called for everyone in a Druids shirt to pull together in tomorrow’s (Friday) match against The New Saints.

The match at Plaskynaston Lane will be the curtain raiser to the Welsh Premier League season with Druids hosting the reigning champions – ironically the same fixture which clinched the title for TNS season.

Jones and fellow joint player-manager Waynne Phillips have been putting the final preparations together for the game and admitted to having a game plan in mind.

He said: “Everything is looking good up to now. Myself and Waynne are looking forward to it.

“We have to be hard to beat, and not concede. That might mean we have to put ten men behind the ball. If they break us down, then we have to put our hands up.

“It will be a case of everyone pulling together.”

He added: “If we were offered 1-0 or 0-0 now we would obviously take it.

“We had a good training session on Tuesday night. We were originally planning to train on Monday and Wednesday but decided to have a longer session on Tuesday instead.

“The players need their energy tomorrow as there might be long periods of the game when we don’t have the ball. We decided to try and get the lads rested and fresh for the match.”

Jones said that he and Phillips have already selected the team that will face the defending champions, but was keeping his cards close to his chest.

However he did admit that new signings Mark Powell and Kevin Holsgrove are likely to figure at some point.

Definitely out of tomorrow’s game, though, is left back Andrew Jackson who injured his ankle in last weekend’s friendly at Llandudno.

Striker Darren Williams is also out through suspension while fellow forward Mike Heverin is still away in America.

“Apart from Andrew and the long term casualties,” Jones said, “we have no injury worries and hopefully nobody will drop out at the last minute.

“There are some players who are naturally disappointed about not being picked. “Some will be here with us, though, to train with us. A couple have said they want to play for the Reserves against Brickfield – which we are delighted to hear – as they will get match practice as they fight for their place in the first team.

“We need all of the lads to be fit for when they get their chance in the first team. We don’t want to have players not selected because they are unfit. That is why those who aren’t selected for the first team and not playing for the Reserves will be here with us and will do the warm up and a couple of runs.”

Meanwhile long time casualty Matthew Cook is likely to miss the entire season as he is to undergo a second operation on his broken leg.

Cook was injured early last season in the FAW Premier Cup victory over Welshpool Town but the injury has now stopped continuing to heal and will be back under the surgeon’s knife tomorrow (Friday).

Jones said: “When Waynne had a similar injury he was out for 15 months, but he was getting treatment and physiotherapy every day as he was a professional at the time.

“I think it’s likely he will be out for the entire season now. We were expecting him back at Christmas, but that was without another operation.

“I spoke to Matthew today and he is gutted that the injury has stopped healing.”