Newcastle Falcons are hoping to delay the naming of the squad for their vital Heineken Cup clash after an injury crisis hit Kingston Park.

Of the 34-man squad eligible to face Newport Gwent Dragons in the vital tie on Sunday, just 18 players are fit including only four front row forwards and no recognised goal kicker.

Competition rules mean Rob Andrew must name his starting 15 and replacements 48 hours before the game but he hopes to arrange a 24 hour extension with officials as the Director of Rugby is forced to play the waiting game ahead of the must-win tie.

"If the game was played today we couldn't fulfil the fixture,'' he admitted. "We haven't got enough front row forwards, which is the biggest danger, and so we've just got to hope that some of the injured guys come right by Sunday.

"There is a risk that we might have to name injured front row forwards in the squad just to fulfil the game, and that is certainly not a position we want to be in.''

In the forwards, props James Isaacson (flu), Micky Ward (arm), David Wilson (knee) and Marius Hurter (left the club), flankers Ed Williamson (shoulder) and flanker Cory Harris (not registered), prop hooker Stuart Mackie (shoulder), and lock Andy Buist (knee) are all unavailable.

Buist was stretched off in the 33-12 defeat against Perpignan last week after coming on as a replacement himself.

The story in the backs is not much better, as the Falcons are without fullback Matt Burke (knee), fly-halfs Jonny Wilkinson (knee) and Dave Walder (knee), fullback Joe Shaw (ankle), centres Mark Mayerhofler (leg), Jamie Noon (head) and Epi Taione (hamstring), scrum half Hall Charlton (flu), centre and wing Tom May (flu).

"I've never been in a position where virtually half the squad are either ill or injured,'' added the former England and British Lions fly-half.

"All the time I've been here we just haven't been faced with a situation where we've got no goal kickers, we've got no 10s and even the academy 10 is injured as well. We've just got to wait and see on Sunday.

"We've only got four fit front row forwards so we couldn't technically put out a team, so we just have to hope by Sunday that we've actually got at least 22.

"We may not, so we may have to go into the game without 22 players.''

Andrew was critical of the competition rules which have put his squad in this position going into the game which they must win to book their place in the quarter finals of the Europe's premier club competition.

He said: "With a competition of this quality it has to beg the question why you have to have a certain number of players for the Heineken Cup.

"There is a limit of 34 of which a certain number have to be front row forwards so it means you are restricted.

"Its a crazy situation, we've got no backs as they are all injured.

"Ollie Phillips is not registered for the Heineken Cup, he missed the cut.

"It was a choice between him and Toby Flood for the last back to be registered and we went with Toby because he can play fly-half, goal kicker, he can play full-back and it gives us a bit more flexibility - but he's injured as well now.

"It just seems crazy that you have a player registered at your club who is an England sevens' player who actually isn't registered to play in the Heineken Cup, it just doesn't make sense.''

The Falcons have made an impressive start to their second Heineken Cup campaign after a win over tomorrow's opponents in October as well as a double success over Edinburgh Rugby and a 19-14 home win over Perpignan.

* West Hartlepool face Morpeth and are expected to name the same side from last week's postponed game with the same opponents. Brett Cullinane has returned from holiday, but won't be considered and Mark Cholmondeley is back in training.

Middlesbrough make one change to the starting line up for their trip to Vale of Lune with Lee Richardson unavailable, so Andrew Micklewright moves in from the wing to centre and Danny Poole comes into the side to take his place out wide.

Gavin Fingland is on the bench, with scrum half Peter Wright still on the injured list.

Blaydon are still without the pair of John Golightly and Paul Evans for the visit of Flyde. They will also be without Danny Brown, Jason Smithson and Eni Gesinde who have been called up by Newcastle Falcons to cover their long list of injuries.

Without a league fixture this week, Stockton take a team to Houghton-le-Spring.