O'Leary given Barry lift

Last updated : 20 October 2004 By Pancho Villa

The left-sided midfielder was scythed by Lauren after just nine minutes of Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Highbury, and there were concerns that the damage to his knee could sideline him until the new year.

But David O'Leary today announced that scans revealed there was no lasting damage, and the former England Under-21 captain could return to the side within two weeks. Whether the change in mobility would actually make a difference to his performance is debatable, but the news is welcome anyway.

Barry surprisingly absolved the Cameroonian defender of any blame, dismissing it as a simple 50-50 challenge, though O'Leary was slightly less forgiving as he looked at the prospect of losing another senior player. The Irishman only has six midfielders in his squad, with Steven Davis and summer signing Mathieu Berson both waiting on the sidelines.