NEWPORT County AFC must do without the suspended Joss Labadie at Port Vale tomorrow but manager Michael Flynn is working hard to ensure that the skipper stays beyond the end of this season.

Labadie starts a two-game ban this weekend after picking up his 10th yellow card of the campaign in last Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Notts County.

And Flynn admits that the captain’s absence will leave a big hole to fill in the heart of midfield.

“It’s a big blow but it gives someone else a chance to step up and stake a claim,” said the Exiles boss.

“I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do at the moment, we’ll go through a couple of things in training and see what we feel is best.

“We haven’t got a like-for-like replacement for Joss. He’s a different player.

“We’re going to miss his energy, his tenacity and his aggression but it gives somebody else with a different style to come in and see if they can improve the team.

“And if they do they’ll keep the shirt.”

Flynn is hopeful, however, that he won’t have to find a long-term replacement for Labadie.

The 27-year-old’s contract is up at the end of this season and talks over a new deal have been taking place for months.

Labadie won plenty of praise from the national media for his display in the FA Cup draw with Tottenham Hotspur last month and that display put him in the shop window.

After the first Spurs tie he told the Daily Mirror: “I’d definitely say what people saw during the game and on Match of the Day was the real me. That’s the way I like to play.

“I had a lot of texts and WhatsApp messages when I finished the game and it was nice for the pundits to sing my praises. It was something that made me and my family proud.”

That display and his form throughout the season means Labadie is bound to have offers to move on this summer but he insists he is happy at Rodney Parade.

“I’m here until Newport tell me otherwise,” he told the Argus last month.

“I’m enjoying my football. It’s probably the best football I’ve played for a number of years.”

South Wales Argus:

Asked about the contract talks yesterday, Flynn said: “We put it on hold while we got the FA Cup out of the way but I have been talking to his representative and so has the chairman [Gavin Foxall] and [chief executive officer] Alex [Tunbridge] as well.

“I’m hoping that we can get something done but it’s going to be a drawn out one.

“He’s keen to stay but he wants to keep his options open.

“Fair play to him, he’s been honest and I can take that.”

Labadie’s decision may rest on whether County can force their way back into the League Two play-off race and win promotion.

Flynn added: “You’ve just got to put different scenarios down on the table – if we’re League One it’s this, if we’re League Two it’s this and so forth.

“You’ve got to be prepared for all scenarios and we are.

“We’ve looked at it in different ways and how we can make it work without going overboard and hopefully we can get it done.”