AFC Wimbledon player blow is anything but as Chesterfield, Gillingham & Port Vale loom | OneFootball

AFC Wimbledon may not suffer too badly in crucial upcoming clashes with their captain Jake Reeves set to be absent following a red card

Jake Reeves' first-half red card against Doncaster Rovers over the weekend may have caused plenty of AFC Wimbledon fans' hearts to sink into the pits of their stomach.

However, his absence saw the Dons remain calm and composed in their defending while the tide was against them, not letting their early lead slip until a deflected effort beat Owen Goodman.

But now the team face three games without him in the middle of the park, and while his leadership may be missed in what are likely to be crucial games, the capability on show against Doncaster suggests that the blow suffered by this lengthy suspension is going to be anything but, and may end up working out in Wimbledon's favour.

Jake Reeves' absence is not a blow for AFC Wimbledon or Johnnie Jackson

For a while now, plenty of fans have been calling for Reeves to be at least rested for a game or two, as his impact on the pitch has been lessening as each game passes by.

Before we reached the business end of this season, his composure on the ball and his commanding nature in the middle of the park was in abundance and exactly what the Dons were needing, but fast-forward to now, and it seems that he has not been getting into games, and in turn, has hampering Wimbledon in midfield, with a minimised level of impact.

Before, teams feared the pairing of Reeves and Alistair Smith in midfield, whereas now there seems to be an imbalance, with teams starting to target Dons captain Reeves and keep him quiet and ineffective throughout the game.

And to make matters worse for Reeves personally, Smith is slowly but surely becoming a much more crucial player in Jackson's system, with his goals adding to his Patrick Vieira-esque performances for the South West London club, leaving Reeves behind in the dust.

Now that the former Bradford City player is set to miss the clashes against fellow promotion chasers Port Vale, as well as mid-table opposition in the form of Gillingham and Chesterfield, it does give Jackson a small, but in some ways, welcome headache as he chooses who best to pair Smith in midfield, as with recent performances, he is unlikely to shift style and formation, especially this late on in the season with plenty to still play for in terms of automatic promotion and the play-offs.

He does have the added boost of a plethora to choose from too, in order to make sure the absence of Reeves is definitely not missed. Comebacks from injuries for a few of the Dons' midfielders have landed at the perfect time, and they give Jackson a healthy arsenal in which to arm himself with the correct players for the correct games, as the quick turnaround over the Easter weekend will mean heavy squad rotation and usage.

Johnnie Jackson likely to make midfield choices game by game

As just mentioned, the Dons have an almost full array of midfielders from which manager Jackson can pick from for the upcoming games, and potentially beyond, with playoffs likely on the horizon.

The top pick would likely be the man that was bought on to replace Reeves in midfield on Saturday, Callum Maycock.

It has been a stop-start first season at the club for the former Coventry City youngster, with injuries over Christmas meaning his comeback, following some standout early-season performances, was only recent. However, in that short amount of time, he has shown exactly what the team were missing without him.

His forward runs and late crashes into the opposition box pair perfectly with Smith, as the pair take it in turns and create utter confusion in opposition defences. Add in the fact he does bring much more height into the team than Reeves, and it seems as though there is nothing to worry about when it comes to replacing the captain.

However, if Maycock is not the pick that Jackson fancies, creativity can lie on Smith's shoulders, and the likes of James Ball or Sam Hutchinson can be bought in to do the dirty work. Both are more defensive-minded players, with the pair having featured and starred at centre-back at respective points this season. They would certainly add a steeliness too, which has not been a feature too often this season for Wimbledon in the centre of midfield, and this would likely be welcomed at this important stage in the season.

Lastly, there comes Myles Hippolyte, who, after starring so brilliantly in the early parts of the season, has unfortunately missed out with injuries hampering what was becoming a highly positive start to life at the Dons. The winger-turned-midfielder does operate better as part of a three-man midfield, and may have just become available at the wrong time in the season, with Jackson now firmly a user of a two-man midfield.

However, despite being far from match fit, if absolutely needed, he could probably be depended upon to bring some energy from the substitute's bench.

As goes at this time of the season, it may end up being the case that Jackson does pick and choose who starts alongside Smith in Reeves' absence on a game-by-game basis over the next three games, as suspensions can force a hand that way.

But considering the options that are now available, and the varieties of playing styles that come with that availability for the Dons boss, he is highly unlikely to feel the loss of his captain too much, even in the upcoming high-stakes games.