Exeter City - Newport County preview - Nichols out for Grecians

Exeter will be without striker Tom Nichols once again as they host fellow play-off hopefuls Newport.

The home-grown forward serves the second game of his three-match suspension for a red card against Morecambe and misses out while Liam Sercombe is likely to keep his place having replaced Tom McCready (knock) in their stunning 3-2 win over Luton.

That last-gasp victory means City are just three points off the play-offs and can cut the gap ahead of the 3pm kick-offs on Monday and Paul Tisdale could shuffle his pack for a second match in four days.

Match-winner David Wheeler and striker Clinton Morrison will hope to have done enough to earn starts but David Noble (hamstring) and Pat Baldwin (knee) miss out once more.

Newport hope wing-back Ryan Jackson is available to feature at St James Park.

A muscle strain kept Jackson out of Good Friday's 2-2 draw with Hartlepool but he will be aiming to make the trip down to Devon having been given the green light after a scan.

Goalkeeper Joe Day came through 90 minutes unscathed after being forced off with injury against Accrington the previous weekend and will line up in goal.

And boss Jimmy Dack could name an unchanged line-up against the Grecians as they look to cement a play-off spot.