"As a manager I have to work closely with individual players and our medical staff. When we knew last week there was a problem I discussed the situation at length and it was felt, by the medical people and Alan, that there was no danger of causing damage if he played against Queens Park Rangers."
Lee, who had surgery on the problem today, revealed yesterday that he's been suffering for a month with the hernia. His form has dipped with ineffective performances in recent games.
Despite Lee saying he knew after the Bournemouth game 4 weeks ago that he had a problem it appears to have been only recently Lennie found out.
"When we found out it was almost a relief, because now we have a reason for Alan's loss of form," said Lawrence. "I didn't think he was right, he looked as though he was struggling. We felt it could be the long-term repercussions of his knee operation and coming to terms with that or a lack of confidence. At least now we know the problem."
Lennie's comments don't quite tally up with Alan Lee's
"I knew there was something coming on in the last couple of months and, to be honest, I was hoping it would just go away because when you are playing twice a week these niggles do sometimes," Lee said yesterday. "But I knew after Bournemouth it wasn't something that was going to go away.
"It was in the last three or our games when it was really playing on my mind and started getting worse and worse. So it really was a case of just getting through it until Peter Thorne and Andy Campbell were fit, but now with the lads back I can do something about it.
"Management decides the situation so what can you do?"
Peter Thorne will take the lead striker role against Gillingham on Saturday now that he is back from a neck injury.