NEWPORT County AFC manager Graham Westley says the return from injury of Joss Labadie will make a big difference as he seeks a way of winning on the much-maligned Rodney Parade pitch.

Labadie has been sidelined with two separate hamstring injuries since September but he came off the bench in Tuesday’s defeat to Stevenage.

And Westley is hopeful that the midfielder will be able to start against Morecambe this afternoon.

“He’s come back against Wimbledon and broken down and we brought him back differently this time round,” said the Exiles boss.

“He had 25 good minutes the other night so we’ll see how he feels.

“The player has to be the one who says he’s ready to go.”

And if Labadie is ready to go then Westley believes he will help County get back to winning ways after three successive league defeats.

“Any side in this league would want Joss Labadie in their starting XI if they could possibly get him,” he said.

“He’s a quality player. He makes the difference and he’s a leader of men.

“If you’ve got those kind of people you want them at the heart of what you’re doing.

“He puts his foot in and he makes the right decisions. He doesn’t pussyfoot around on the edge of the box.

“If the ball needs clearing he clears it and you need someone setting those standards.

“But he’s a good footballer too so he plays football at the right time in the right areas.

“It empowers others and it inspires others and that is so important.”

Labadie’s experience will be vital according to Westley.

“It wasn’t a resounding success bringing Darren Jones and Paul Bignot back in the other night.

“But maybe I need a little bit more experience in there still just to make sure that the side does the right things to win games on a difficult surface.

“I’ve finally got my head round what I need to do to win at home on that surface.

“That’s an advantage to me. I’m picking a team knowing what it’s like and the opposition are turning up on the day and they’ve got to get ready for it without knowing quite what they’re walking into.”