O'Neill's defensive headache

Martin O'Neill has revealed that Martin Laursen and Carlos Cuellar will be missing for the next few weeks through injury.

Laursen missed the 2-2 with Arsenal on Boxing Day after picking up a knee injury against West Ham the week before and could spend the next three or four weeks on the sidelines.

Martin O'Neill could be left with a defensive headache with Carlos Cuellar also likely to miss the next few weeks, and the Villa boss admitted that the situation could get worse should Laursen require surgery on his knee.

"He's going to be a few weeks, he's had an injection to try and get the knee settling down," O'Neill said.

"We thought it might require surgery but we're feeling it might settle down and he could return more quickly than if he'd had the operation.

"We're talking about three or four weeks."