The Wigan Athletic loanee will miss the next three league games but can feature in the Vertu Trophy

Jon Mellish is down on his luck after a red card in only his second outing for MK Dons will see him sidelined for three matches just when his new side need him the most.

Already short on numbers at full-back, Mellish was loaned in from Wigan Athletic as a result of an injury to regular Joe Tomlinson. Right-back Gethin Jones then suffered an injury on the opposite flank, prompting the signing of Kane Wilson, before Mellish was given his marching orders against Grimsby last week.

It leaves Dons short once more - a problem for Paul Warne to face for the next three league games - but also hampers Mellish’s desires to play regular football at Stadium MK, a hiccup he too could do without.

“He wants to play games, that’s why he’s come here,” said Warne. “You just want three or four games, but sometimes you don’t get three or four games because it’s a brutal world we live in.

“He’s heartbroken, a bit down in the dumps. We’ve not had a proper conversation about it because we’ve just got on with it. He’s trained really well all week, but he’ll get frustrated that when the team gets selected, his number won’t go up.

“It’s a blow for him to miss three games but he can still play in the Trophy in the week so that will keep the cobwebs off him.”

Adjudged to have raised a high boot to catch a Grimsby Town player around the face, Mellish was given a straight red despite some protests from his new Dons team-mates. Warne though said he can understand the referee’s decision.

He continued: “I can see why the ref has given a red card, I’m not that biased. I think if it was a yellow, we’d think he’s gotten away with one but a red is a bit unlucky. It was a strong orange.

“Jon is beginning to settle in, and on Saturday against Grimsby, we had no problems down his side of the pitch. Losing him is a big blow. I feel for him because I think there was a foul on Jack (Sanders) as the ball was kicked.”