If Ryan Sweeney can take any solace from being sent off last weekend, it is that his boss knows he will learn from the experience.

The AFC Wimbledon defender was shown a straight red card during the Dons 2-1 defeat at Morecambe on Saturday - a result that extended a winless run in League Two to five games.

And while Neal Ardley was forced to move into the loan market to fill the defensive gap ahead of this weekend, he had no complaints about the decision, and can only see positives for 18-year-old Sweeney.

He said: “If the ref gets it wrong we’ll say something, but the Morecambe guy has taken a great first touch that has taken him away from Ryan.

AFC WIMBLEDON: "Cut up" pitch levels the playing field for Ardley

“He’s had a little yank and pulled him back which affected the guy taking his chance so you have to accept the ref was right.”

He added: “The biggest thing Ryan will learn from all of this is about playing Saturday and Tuesday for a number of weeks.

“The battle-hardened pros like Barry [Fuller], Paul [Robinson] and Dannie [Bulman] all understand how to do that – their bodies can cope.

“Ryan’s had to do something that his body will not be used to and that’s the biggest thing he’ll learn, how to cope with that.”

The Dons host York City this weekend, with only the suspended Sweeney and Adebayo Akinfenwa definitely out.

Ardley is confident that Andy Barcham, Sean Rigg, Jon Meades and Tom Elliott, who have all been struggling with injury or illness, will be back.