PLYMOUTH Argyle manager Paul Sturrock is not promising to turn to a like-for- like replacement when he fills the gap in his side left by the suspended Carl Fletcher this afternoon.

The Pilgrims' team captain has been in action for every minute of every Coca- Cola Championship fixture fulfilled by the Devon side so far this term, but he will miss today's home game against Doncaster Rovers. He has to serve a one-game ban as a punishment for being booked five times since the start of the season.

Rather than bring in a holding midfielder to try to duplicate Fletcher's role, Sturrock has other options in mind. He want to ensure that the Pilgrims can pack enough attacking punch today. That could mean a call-up for a striker who did not feature in last weekend's 1-0 away win at Middlesbrough – or for winger Craig Noone, who returned to Home Park this week after a productive loan spell playing League One football for Exeter City.

If Noone is picked from the start, the Pilgrims could deploy a 4-4-2 system, with Alan Gow pushed up front – where he prefers to be – alongside Jamie Mackie. Alternatively, Gow could be used just behind Mackie and another striker in a 4-3-1-2 formation.

"We have a personnel change to be made, with Fletcher being out," stated Sturrock, whose side used a 4-4-1-1 shape at Middlesbrough. "A system change would bring another offensive player into the team. We're the home team, and I have things to think about. I have to decide if we have enough offensive players on the pitch, if we play the same troops that we played last Saturday.

"It would be easy for me to say to let them loose again and say: 'On you go, boys. You got us a result. Go and do it again.' But it's difficult to be sure that the system we played away from home will be what we want at home. That's the deliberation to be had."

There are like-for-like options when it comes to replacing Fletcher, but the Home Park chief is unlikely to ask Kari Arnason to do the job which he was brought to Plymouth this summer to do. The Iceland international's preferred role is in central midfield, but he has been used in central defence so far this term. Last weekend, he was part of a rearguard which helped Argyle to keep a clean-sheet for the first time this season.

Arnason seems set to stay in central defence, having thrived alongside Shane Lowry at Middlesbrough. "If we have a settled back four, they'll start to read each other and know each other," Sturrock said. "That could be the key to it all."

Other options include bringing either Jim Paterson or Chris Clark, two solid players, into midfield, but the Argyle boss is being tempted to be bold when it comes to filling the gap left today by Fletcher. Noone is ready to answer the call, if he is summoned to start against Donny.

"It would be great if I was picked. I'll be fine if I do get to play, but it's up to the manager," the Liverpudlian said. "If he thinks I'm ready, that's great, but if not I'll wait and prove my point in training."

Noone knows that he would have been less ready for a call-up to Argyle's first XI if he had remained at Home Park and played occasional reserve-team football, instead of going to Exeter. "I've been away and I've played first-team football, which has been good for me," he said. "I've scored a few goals and I've set up a few, so my confidence is good as well."

Noone is fit to play, after one injury problem while he was at St James' Park. "I had a foot injury and I missed a couple of games," the former Southport player added. "I played through it for four games, when I just wrapped it up in pain-killers, but it's fine now."