Defender Laursen will not be playing again until November

The �3m summer signing is recovering after surgery on a knee injury.

"There is nothing extraordinary wrong with his knee and the surgeon was quite pleased with how the surgery went," said O'Leary.

"But you are still probably looking at a six-to-eight-week period before you will see Martin back playing again."

O'Leary was forced to field a makeshift back four in Villa's Carling Cup second-round win over QPR.

Report: Aston Villa 3-1 QPR

With central defender Liam Ridgewell also injured, right-back Mark Delaney moved across to partner Olof Mellberg.

O'Leary admitted: "We badly need players in January but not many things normally happen then.

"People asked me if I was going to field a weakened side in the Carling Cup. I would like to know how I could.

"The side for this competition will pick itself as it does for the Premier League."