After a free weekend due to their early exit from the FA Cup, Sutton return to Nationwide South action this week with a tough away game at Newport, who have struggled against relegation in each of the past two seasons but who this season are looking as though they will come closer to fulfilling the expectations of their supporters to be challenging for honours at the top of the table.

They are just outside the play-off picture having lost at Cambridge City in their last game, but at home they have won five of their six matches, with Farnborough the only side to have travelled back across the Welsh border with the points.

Last season Sutton went to the Newport Stadium just as the home side were hitting the form that would lift them clear of trouble, and Jason Bowen's goal just before half time was enough for a 1-0 win, but the previous season U's gave one of their best performances to win 4-2.

United will include Ross Gaynor and Charlie Ide in their squad after the loans of both players were extened for another month, but Lewis Gonsalves will be missing through a one match suspension having accumulated five cautions.

Zak Graham begins his three game ban following his sending off in the FA Cup defeat against Bishop's Stortford.

United have also extended the loan of Steve Douglas to Whyteleafe for a further month.

Sutton's reserves moved to within a point of the top of the Suburban League on Saturday when a remarkable burst of three goals in first half stoppage time set them on the way to a 4-0 win against Burnham. Sam Clayton scored twice and Jason Henry once as U's finished the first half in style, and Ryan Watts added a fourth in the second half. U's will have gone to the top if the beat Metropolitan Police in Tuesday's game at Gander Green Lane, and they entertain third placed Basingstoke on Saturday, kick off 3pm.

Zak Graham signed off before his suspension by scoring the only goal last Tuesday as U's took a narrow advantage from the first leg of the Suburban League Champions Cup semi final against Corinthian Casuals. There was rarely a hint of a repeat of the league meeting between the sides last month, when U's ran riot in a 7-0 win, and Graham's first half goal was enough to divide the sides going in to the second leg at Tolworth next Tuesday.