Europa Conference League: Dundalk v Newtown (Thu)
- Published
Chris Hughes has been in charge of Newtown since November 2013
Newtown will be without three players who have tested positive for Covid-19 when they go to Dundalk in the Europa Conference League first qualifying round on Thursday.
The unnamed players will all be available for the second leg.
A fourth player has been able to travel having completed Covid protocols.
Newtown boss Chris Hughes said it "has been difficult" and "we are trying to prepare a football team to go and play against a very good team."
Hughes says Newtown are aiming to upset the odds once again having qualified for Europe for the first time in six years after winning the Cymru Premier play-off final in May.
The Robins won away at top-six sides Penybont in the play-off semi-final and Caernarfon Town in the final to qualify.
Dundalk, currently seventh in the League of Ireland's Premier Division, reached the group stages of last season's Europa League where they faced Arsenal.
"We're expecting a tough game," Hughes told BBC Sport Wales.
"We know they're a good side and obviously played against Arsenal last year in the Europa League group stages and you don't get to that level if you're not a good team.
"But when our backs are against the wall, like we've proved time and time again, we can go as underdogs and upset people and we'll be looking to do that.
"We'll embrace what's thrown at us. We'll go over there and give a good account of ourselves."
The winners of the two-legged tie will face Estonia's Levadia Tallinn or St Joseph's of Gibraltar in the second qualifying round.
Vinny Perth recently returned for his second spell as Dundalk head coach less than 18 months after he was sacked,
After three wins in Perth's first three games back at the helm, Dundalk lost 3-1 against Shamrock Rovers on Friday evening.
Newtown's last foray into Europe was in 2015 when they beat Maltese side Valletta in the Europa League first qualifying round before bowing out to FC Copenhagen in the following round.