Sunderland defender sent for scans on persistent injury

Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin has gone for precautionary scans after he suffered a recurrence of concussion symptoms.

Cirkin was knocked unconscious as he headed Sunderland level at Millwall earlier this month, suffering a concussion in the process.

He went through the protocols and has featured twice for Sunderland since – in the draw against Bristol City and defeat at Rotherham.

However, he was missing from the teamsheet entirely for the defeat at Coventry, and Tony Mowbray has confirmed it is due to him still suffering the effects of the injury.

"It's a carry-on from his concussion," Mowbray explained. "He's been feeling dazed and not clear-headed, a bit dizzy.

"He's been sent for a scan, so there was no way he could come. We feel it is an after-effect of his concussion from Millwall.

"He didn't feel right in the game at Rotherham. He went for a scan the other day and I haven't seen the results of it yet.

"It's basically on the back of the protocol you have to do after a player suffers a concussion."

The concussion protocol does not come with a specific time attached to it, but players need to be completely free from symptoms when they return.

It’s obviously not an exact science either, as this situation proves, whereby symptoms can clear up before returning later.

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