England Under-21 international Liam Ridgewell has deputised in his absence and O’Leary says he will retain his place as long as he maintains his form. “Liam has done alright,” he said, stuffing his fingers in his ears and humming the Can-can when somebody asked about the less than steady performance against Diomansy Kamara on Saturday. “He's a long way to go yet but it is down to him now. He is currently holding the position. There’s not that pressure on him at the moment because people aren't completely fit yet. But if he plays well, he'll stay in the team.”
In lieu of what happened last time, O'Leary is reluctant to rush Laursen back and believes the 27-year-old is still some way off being ready to challenge for a first team spot despite making good progress. “What Laursen needs is fitness. He needs reserve games. He's on the bench with the first team because we've nobody else to put on the bench who is a defender,” O’Leary sobbed as the violins reached a crescendo. “We know we can use him if we have to but he does need more reserve games to get really up to fitness.”