Michael Flynn has no worries about a different defender coming in to replace Tom Brewitt as Swindon Town take on Gillingham this evening.
Town will be without the 26-year-old after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign against Salford City; this means Flynn will have to make a change to his back three for the first time this season as his side faces a fellow promotion challenger in the Gills, who sit one point behind Swindon in the table.
Despite being without one of the pillars of the Swindon defence this season, Flynn has no concerns about a different player stepping in and retaining the same level of understanding in the backline.
He said: “Well they [the players] know their roles and responsibilities because we don’t just work with the starting 11 day in, day out.
“Whoever comes in will know exactly the way we play, what we want to do, the movements off the ball, and their roles and responsibilities in the team.
“It is down to them now, they are in the team, they have the chance to keep their shirt, and it is down to them to put in a performance.
“Once you cross that white line, it is the same as any other player in the starting 11 or the substitutes, they have to show that they can make an impact.”
Despite going off during the second half of Swindon’s game against Salford at the weekend with a suspected concussion, Flynn remains confident that Brewitt will be available to feature against Milton Keynes Dons this weekend after returning from his suspension.
He said: “No [fresh concerns after Salford], not other than Tom Brewitt, who is suspended anyway so that doesn’t come into it really.
“There is a [concussion] protocol [that Brewitt will have to go through], but thankfully as long as he continues as he is then he will be fine for the weekend.”
With Brewitt’s suspension, Flynn will likely be choosing between Harrison Minturn and Tom Clayton to fill in in the middle of the back three.
It was the academy graduate who was called upon to replace Brewitt at the Peninsular Stadium and the Town boss was full of praise for the young defender’s performance.
He said: “When Harrison Minturn came on, I thought he was absolutely superb, especially up against Matt Smith.
“Harrison was excellent, and he has really put a marker down.”
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