NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn admits his starters in Bolton are in pole position to face Newcastle – but stresses that the Magpies haven't even been mentioned by his squad.

The Exiles head to face the Wanderers in League Two tomorrow (kick-off 3pm) before welcoming the Premier League big guns to Rodney Parade in the Carabao Cup.

The tie against Newcastle is a reward for upsetting Swansea City and Watford of the Championship.

"It's continuing the tradition of us bringing a Premier League team to Rodney Parade every season," said Flynn, who has faced Leicester, Tottenham, Manchester City and West Ham in Newport.

"I've never had a competitive fixture against Newcastle, so it's something that I am really looking forward to.

"Going head-to-head with Steve Bruce will be good on a personal level because he is a very good manager, as he's proven with the clubs that he has been with."

Flynn is assured of that personal duel but few in his squad are guaranteed of starts against the Magpies.

So far this season he has rotated his squad and given 21 different players starts in six fixtures.

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A good display against Bolton would do them the power of good but Flynn insists it's the three points that is the prime motivation for his squad.

"The boys who start will be in pole position," said the manager, who reported a clean bill of health after the win against Watford.

"There will be no complacency but Newcastle hasn't even been mentioned by the boys, so that's credit to them."

Flynn has played three at the back in five of the six games after opting for a back four against Cheltenham in the EFL Trophy.

With summer signing David Longe-King his sole injury absentee, he has the ability to change the shape of his side but also to rotate his squad in a hectic schedule.

When asked if it's his strongest group since taking the reins in 2017, Flynn replied: "At the minute it is but you look at the team that got to the play-off final, we could have had a squad of 30 and eight or nine of them would have picked themselves that season, so it's not always about the squad.

"We just need to be fortunate with injuries and players keeping their form, because when that happens there is a lot of competition and they all push each other day in, day out.

"I am almost in a situation where it doesn't matter if A plays or B plays because I know what I can get from them."

Summer signing Kevin Ellison won't feature in Bolton with the veteran forward potentially coming into the mix for next weekend's League Two fixture against Mansfield, which is followed by an EFL Trophy encounter against Norwich Under-21s.