POOLE Town boss Tom Killick insists he is not losing any sleep – despite journeying into the unknown without suspended centre-halves Jamie Whisken and Michael Walker.

The fearsome pair were the rock on which the Southern League Premier Division's meanest defence was built last season as Dolphins narrowly missed out on the title.

Ever present last season, captain Whisken has started all bar one of the Tatnam club's 112 matches in the league, play-offs and FA competitions since signing in the summer of 2013, missing the 1-0 home defeat to Cambridge City in April 2014 which ended Poole's play-off dream.

Walker, who made 34 league appearances having returned from Weymouth, was sorely missed when injured during the final push for the title last season.  

Poole make the 440-mile round trip to King's Lynn tomorrow (3pm) without their linchpins after Walker was dismissed for two bookings against Chippenham last month.

Whisken then followed suit in their next match against Merthyr but Killick has every faith his reshuffled pack can deliver the goods.

Killick told the Daily Echo: "Having both out at the same time makes it awkward but the fact we came out of the Bank Holiday weekend without any further injuries is pleasing.

"We're confident of having Lewis Lindsay back from injury and will probably play him alongside Will Spetch in the centre of defence. Being without the club's two main centre-halves and still having two outstanding players to step in is an exceptional situation to find ourselves in.

"It is not ideal but I am quite relaxed about it and think we will be fine."

The well-supported Linnets have started slowly since their lateral switch from the Northern Premier League but Killick reckons their raucous support will make life difficult for Poole.

"Being so far away, they are a bit of an unknown quantity," he added. "You don't hear so much about their expectations and aspirations but I know it is a big club having played there some years ago and experienced their loyal and vocal following.

"It is still early days and I would imagine they will be a tough proposition at home. From what I remember, it can be a fairly hostile place so if that's still the case, it will be hard irrespective of how they have started."

Luke Burbidge returns from a spell of unavailability with Killick reporting no fresh injury concerns.

Dolphins: (from) Hutchings, Tallack, Emmerson, Spetch, Lindsay, Pettefer, Burbidge, Devlin, Gillespie, Brooks, Holmes, Roberts, Davidson, Connell, Gleeson, Dickson, Collins.