Dennis Cirkin will sit out Sunderland's game against Reading tomorrow with Tony Mowbray admitting the defender's recovery from concussion has taken longer than was hoped. Cirkin suffered a head injury as he scored the Black Cats' equaliser at Millwall last weekend and has had to follow the FA concussion protocols before returning to action.
He was always going to miss the midweek FA Cup replay against Fulham but, assuming his recovery went without a hitch, there was a chance he could face Reading. But Mowbray said Cirkin needed a day or two extra before he could begin stepping up his training, although he expects the 20-year-old will be fit by the time Sunderland take on QPR at Loftus Road on Tuesday.
"Dennis won't be available for this game, no," said Mowbray. "It took a day or two longer than we had hoped to get him back to having no symptoms, but he is back on the grass now and that time process has started.
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"I'm pretty sure he'll be available for Tuesday, but unfortunately for us and for Dennis he is going to miss this weekend."
Fellow full-back Niall Huggins has been absent from the squad for the last two games after playing for 45 minutes against Fulham at Craven Cottage a fortnight ago, and Mowbray explained that he had picked up a slight knock. It is the latest in a series of injury problems for Huggins, who has played just twice this season, but he is already training again and Mowbray says he will be back in the squad in the coming weeks.
He said: "Niall Huggins has got a slight knock which is preventing him from playing. We have to get him right, rather than getting him back to playing one game and then missing out for the next three or four.
"We're trying to give him the time he needs. He is back out on the grass running and he's not far away so he is going to be in the squads over the next week or two, but at this moment he is not available."
Long-term casualties Ross Stewart and Corry Evans both went under the knife this week, the former undergoing an Achilles operation while the latter needed cruciate ligament surgery. They have been ruled out for the remainder of the season, but will soon begin their rehabilitation work.
Mowbray said: "Corry had his operation yesterday and Ross had his earlier in the week, Monday I think. The message I got was that they both went well.
"Their rehabilitation will begin soon, but generally so close after the operation you just let it all settle down and then in a week or so they can start the work."
Sunderland will have January signing Isaac Lihadji available for the first time tomorrow now that he has been granted a work permit, although for now it seems likely the winger will be used as an impact sub. Mowbray said: "Isaac is available, his work permit and his registration is through so this is the first game where has been available for us.
"I'm very conscious that although he's played at a high level and in the Champions League, and he does look very exciting, but he's a young boy and it takes time. He doesn't communicate much other than with the young French kids we have in the squad because at this stage he doesn't really have any English
"He understands when you say his name but beyond that, I need a bit of a help translating! So in the short term, he might be someone who we bring on from the bench to see if he can impact the game with the qualities that he's got.
"It's very difficult, though, to plan and prepare for a game with him being in the starting XI at the moment with that barrier. It's something that we will overcome over a long period."
Defender Joe Anderson will be available tomorrow after missing the Fulham replay because he was not signed in time to play in the initial tie. And striker Joe Gelhardt also returns to the squad after sitting out the Fulham game because he was cup-tied.
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