Laursen suffers new setback
Last updated : 14 December 2004 By Pancho Villa
The 27-year-old has missed three months with knee ligament damage and was forced from the field after just eight minutes of a friendly against Northampton last week. That failed to clear up in time for last night’s derby, which Villa won 2-0 and David O’Leary now faces the prospect of even longer without the former AC Milan player.
Laursen has made just three appearances since arriving at Villa Park in a £3m deal during the summer. He has been replaced at centre-back by Mark Delaney who has looked like a whale out of water since moving in from the right flank, as he tries to curb his natural tendency to dive in. Olof Mellberg’s form has suffered as a consequence, while Liam Ridgewell inexplicably rots in the reserves.
