THE Dragons have signed Scarlets prop Rhys Fawcett on a short-term loan to solve their problem at loosehead.

The 22-year-old front rower has headed east from Llanelli and is set to feature among the replacements in Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Munster at Rodney Parade.

The Dragons will field loosehead Brok Harris and tighthead Lloyd Fairbrother either side of hooker Richard Hibbard but are struggling for depth behind them because of injuries.

Loosehead Ryan Bevington is sidelined by a concussion that the 13-times capped international suffered in the win against the Ospreys at the end of last year while Aaron Jarvis, who can play either side of the scrum, is out for the season after a hamstring tear against the Scarlets at the start of the month.

With 20-year-old Josh Reynolds also out of action with a hamstring injury, the Dragons have been without specialist options for the 1 jersey.

Dan Suter, normally a tighthead, was backed up converted hooker Gerard Ellis for the European Challenge Cup meeting with minnows Timisoara Saracens and came on for Harris against Clermont Auvergne last weekend.

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The problem led to caretaker boss Ceri Jones, himself a former prop, turning to the Scarlets and they have lent Fawcett to the Dragons.

The front rower was a member of the Wales Under-20s squad that won the Grand Slam in 2016 and has featured nine times in regional rugby with four brief cameos off the bench in the PRO14 last season.

Jones said: “Rhys has joined us on a short-term deal and boosts our front row resources, particularly with the likes of Ryan Bevington and Aaron Jarvis currently ruled out.

“Rhys is a talented young front row who is eager to make an impression in senior rugby, after impressing for Wales Under-20s and in the academy system.

“We are pleased to have him join us and look forward to seeing Rhys make an impression in our set-up.”

The Dragons hope to have Bevington back when the PRO14 returns after a two-week break with fixtures against Edinburgh at Murrayfield on February 15 and Benetton in Treviso on February 23.

Suter and 20-year-old Chris Coleman will be cover for Fairbrother while the Dragons wait for the return of Leon Brown.

The five-times capped tighthead has been selected in Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad but hasn’t played since the start of December because of a broken thumb.

Brown could be released for the trip to Edinburgh, which is on a Six Nations rest week.