Gary Setchell admits King's Lynn Town will miss their 'captain marvel' when Richard Bunting's suspension begins tomorrow.

The holding midfielder has been a mainstay in the Linnets side this term as they have powered their way into the play-off places.

But the 29-year-old, who has made 32 appearances this campaign, is unavailable for his side's visit to Gresley this weekend as his two-game ban for getting sent off at Northwich Victoria kicks in. And Setchell concedes his absence will be felt – especially by team-mates.

The Lynn boss said: 'He's going to be a big miss. I appreciate what he does, the back four certainly appreciate what he does and so do the other players. But he does go under the radar in terms of some of the fans.

'He's genuinely an unsung hero. He doesn't get many headlines or rave reviews but it doesn't make any difference to him. He just gets on with his job.

'We're not a one-man team but he's a big part of what we try to do. He's a big player for us, a big character, but he has missed a game or two and we'll have to do it again over the next week or so.'

Bunting received a one-game ban earlier this term for getting sent off at Sutton Coldfield Town. However, his second dismissal at Victoria, once again for picking up two yellow cards in the same game, has earned him a lengthier spell on the sidelines.

Lynn's skipper will also miss next Saturday's home clash with Newcastle Town and Setchell says he's lucky to have so many alternatives to replace him with.

He said: 'I've got a number of options. I could go three in the middle with Whitey (Danny White) and two others. I could go 4-4-2 and maybe play Quigz (Dan Quigley) and George (Thomson) in there together. I could play a different pair, or even put Charlie (Butt) in there.

'We've got plenty of options so we'll have a look at the pitch when we get there and then make a decision. We'll do our homework on Gresley and I'm sure they'll play 4-4-2 so we might even match them up.'

One decision that Setchell has already made is who will lead out the Linnets in Bunting's absence. That role will go to man-mountain defender Phil Gulliver.

Setchell said of his temporary leader: 'Phil is a captain in his own right. He's worn the armband at Corby and he's a good leader.

'So it's a no-brainer to give him the armband. He doesn't say too much but when he does talk people listen. He will skipper us for the next two games.'