David Swallow to captain Gold Coast in absence of injured co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May

GOLD Coast co-captain Tom Lynch would keep playing every week if he had the choice while coach Stuart Dew reveals off-season recruit Callum Ah Chee is set to make his club debut.

Tom Lynch will miss a month with a knee injury.

GOLD Coast are shuffling the magnets looking for a pace injection with Callum Ah Chee set to join a side that will be without injured skippers Tom Lynch and Steven May.

Veteran Michael Barlow faces a battle to retain his position in the side for Saturday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Ballarat but may be ruled out by injury anyway after reporting leg soreness on Wednesday.

Gold Coast were beaten on the outside by the Crows but coach Stuart Dew said that was more a case of players being sucked to the contest “like bees to a honey pot” rather than lack of outside running power.

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The highly rated Ah Chee, who injured his hamstring in the pre-season, trained at half-back with Jack Martin lining up in attack.

Martin, the Suns’ most creative player, was used at half-back in the QClash and for periods in the loss to the Crows but with Lynch absent looks set to return to the attacking arc,

Dew is looking for a return to the manic pressure that was a feature of their opening three weeks and despite his ball winning ability, Barlow does not provide it.

Tom Lynch will miss a month with a knee injury.

David Swallow will lead the side in Lynch and May’s absence.

Dew has revealed Lynch has been carrying a knee injury for the past few weeks but said he was not laying the fault on the hard surface at Perth’s new Perth Stadium where the Suns played back-to-back games between rounds three and four.

He said the club had hoped he would last until the bye and one week’s rest would be enough but the condition deteriorated after the 48-point loss to the Crows in Adelaide at the weekend.

An ankle injury he suffered in Round 4 against West Coast compounded the problem because he was unable to do the necessary strengthening work to keep the knee problem at bay.

Lynch had to be convinced it was in his best long-term interests to take a break.

“He’d keep playing every week,’’ he said.

David Swallow will captain the Suns in the absence of co-captains Lynch and Steven May. Picture: Getty

“We make the call both medically and with match committee.

“Tom being Tom, he’d roll out every week. That’s good at times, but sometimes you have to save the players.’’

May is only expected to miss one week with an infection in the finger he broke in the QClash and will be available for the Suns’ “home” game against Melbourne at the Gabba in Round 8.

Dew said Swallow was the obvious candidate to lead the side against the Bulldogs after his stellar performance against Adelaide.

“I think the way he played last week is fitting, he gets the reward this week to be captain,’’ he said.

“He just leads by example with his physicality and the way he approaches his footy. Everyone sees the two hours on Saturday but he’s a great leader from Monday to Friday.’’

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Originally published as David Swallow to captain Gold Coast in absence of injured co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May