ROMAIN Vincelot is set to remain in City's back four.

Stuart McCall cannot see any reason to disrupt a defence that is currently the joint-tightest in the Football League alongside Brighton.

City have conceded only seven goals from their first 12 games – with Vincelot proving an integral part of that record at centre half.

McCall saw the Frenchman as the midfield general for this season when he signed him from Coventry in July for a fee that could rise to £100,000.

But Vincelot was deployed at the back from the start because Rory McArdle and Nathan Clarke were both injured and Matt Kilgallon lacked match fitness.

The City skipper's performances in that role since – and partnership with Nathaniel Knight-Percival – have cemented his place at the back and McCall is reluctant to change it.

"It's hard for Romain to move at the moment because we've only conceded seven goals," said the City boss.

"You sometimes don't want to disrupt something that's working so well. There will be cases when that will change – but for now, I don't know about Romain. He'll just carry on doing what he has been."

McArdle, Clarke and Kilgallon all played the full game in City's behind-closed-doors trip to Liverpool's training ground on Sunday.

But they will continue to bide their time behind a settled backline which has claimed five league clean sheets – and only let in a goal per game in the seven others.

McCall said: "You turn round at the bench and look at the three lads there clapping the boys on.

"Matt Kilgallon has had a great career, Rory has been fantastic here and Nathan is the same. We have a few options."

Team-mate Timothee Dieng is pleased to see Vincelot playing so well in a deeper position because it eases the competition in central midfield for now.

Yet despite starting the last ten games, Dieng does not regard his own place as guaranteed.

Josh Cullen is back from international duty at Oxford this weekend and Danny Devine is pushing to celebrate signing his new three-year contract with a recall.

Dieng said: "You cannot relax because there is a lot of quality. When I signed, there were not too many central midfielders but after a couple of weeks, they all arrived.

"It's 50-50 for me but it is good because it pushes you to work harder to keep the shirt. I'm happy to be in this squad and we've had a good start.

"Maybe there have been too many draws but we've had some difficult games like Millwall, Gillingham and Bolton all away. That's why it is important you win at home.

"When you see the bigger picture, you know we have done well."