Garry Monk says he has no regrets in not picking Eunan O'Kane on Saturday, even though his Leeds United side went down to a 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town.
Leeds swooped to bring O'Kane in before the transfer window closed, signing the midfielder on a two-year deal from Premier League side Bournemouth.
But the Republic of Ireland international was absent from the team as Leeds battled Huddersfield in a Yorkshire derby, which they ultimately lost.
And given the defeat, Monk was asked whether in hindsight he wishes he had played his newest signing.
The 37-year-old insists though that he made the right call.
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"No. Made the decision. It was the right decision", he shot back in a press conference.
"Spoke to the player himself, he understood the decision and it's for him to be ready, very, very soon, don't get me wrong.
"It's not we're going to spend weeks and weeks him getting used to us, but he's been in one day, there's certain things he needs to know and get up to speed on and things under his belt."
And Monk argued that to simply put O'Kane in the side without him having had chance to bed in with the group would have been the wrong call.
The Leeds boss feels though that the midfielder could be up to speed for Tuesday's crunch game against fellow basement dwellers Blackburn Rovers.
"It would have been unfair on me to put him in without that knowledge.
"But we're talking a matter of days to get him up to speed.
"So he could be available for Tuesday or this week", Monk added.
