But will it be Zat Knight or Curtis Davies who vacate their place in the first team?
Knight would seem the likely option as Davies was already established in the starting XI before Laursen got injured and, in fact, they built up a good partnership.
However, it cannot be denied that Knight is the man in form, perhaps the form of his life.
The towering defender has Villa at heart as he supported them as a boy and the expression of joy etched on his face when he scored a late leveller against Arsenal on Boxing Day was palpable.
Just like Laursen, Knight makes vital interceptions when Davies dives in rashly instead of jockeying his man.
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The former Fulham and England man is also better in the air than his defensive partner, who often fails to get passable distance on his headers.
This may seem like a biased assessment from a Knight fan but to be fair to Davies he has contributed sufficient amounts to Villa's top four challenge.
He has played in every one of the Claret and Blue's seven wins in a row on the road, putting in admirable performances at Portsmouth and Sunderland.
The ex-Baggies man is undoubtedly good when it comes to just defending his box. Time after time he puts in key blocks as he puts his body on the line for his side.
Fabio Capello has recognised the credentials of Davies and it may not be too long before he plays for England.
But, should he stay in the Villa team let alone break into the national setup?
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