NEWCASTLE Falcons travel to Leicester Tigers tomorrow with limited propping stocks at their disposal for the culmination of the LV= Cup group stage.

New director of rugby Gary Gold is without Euan Murray, who is in Calcutta Cup action.

Dan Frazier is sidelined long-term, while James Hall is still a doubt despite starting in last weekend’s 37-7 home win over Sale Sharks.

Grant Shiells is absent with a back injury from the Scotland A team taking on England Saxons tonight in Galashiels, leaving Newcastle stretched to find the required quota of bodies for their East Midlands encounter.

Gold said: “We are in trouble in the front row and not blessed with many numbers there at the moment.”

Jonny Golding came through last weekend’s 15-minute cameo last weekend, although it remains to be seen whether or not the loose-head is ready for a start after missing the entire season so far with an Achilles injury.

At full-back the prognosis is slowly becoming brighter.

Gold added: “We are hoping for Tom Catterick to be in contention after being out with his hamstring and Greg Goosen could be back in the frame after recovering from a cyst behind his knee.

“He has had a run during the week and will hopefully be OK.”

Leicester are expected to use the Welford Road encounter to reintroduce a host of their recovering stars, with England and former Falcons fly-half Toby Flood returning from the bench after a knee injury.

Ex-Newcastle and New Zealand flanker Craig Newby is among the other Tigers tipped to come back, alongside Ireland full-back Geordan Murphy and Argentina pair Horacio Agulla and Marcos Ayerza.

Both sides still harbour ambitions of making it through to the last four of the Anglo-Welsh competition, in which Newcastle were beaten finalists last season.

Should the Falcons win at Welford Road for the first time since their title-winning season in 1997, they will then be reliant on unbeaten group leaders Scarlets slipping up at Sale Sharks.

Gloucester are also in the equation as they travel to London Irish.

Newcastle prop Wells said: “The LV= Cup is very useful for us regardless of whether or not we end up going through to the semi-finals.

“If we win the game we have a theoretical chance depending how other teams go, so all we can do is hold our end of the bargain and see what happens.” With fellow South African Gary Gold using the competition to get his bearings before the Premiership survival push begins at Bath a week tomorrow, Wells added: “For Gary as director of rugby it is basically like a mini pre-season.

“These matches are giving him the chance to get to know the players for the first time and he will be learning a lot.

“Even though the odds are stacked against us in terms of going through into the knock-out rounds, the information he can get from it is invaluable in terms of how the boys act in the match-day environment and where we can look to improve.”

One man not involved for the Falcons tomorrow will be Redford Pennycook, with the open-side flanker having signed for Bristol.

The West Country club confirmed what The Journal had revealed on Saturday, the Bristolian returning to his home-town team as they continue their push for promotion back into the Premiership.

Pennycook is sidelined with a shoulder injury which requires an operation next week, but hopes to return in time for the play-off push.

His registration had been rushed through before last week’s Championship transfer deadline, saying: “I am excited about returning to my boyhood club.”