CARDIFF, WALES - APRIL 10: Dennis Cirkin of Sunderland scores the opening goal and celebrates with his team-mates during the Sky Bet Championship match between Cardiff City FC Sunderland AFC at The Cardiff City Stadium on April 10, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Ian horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)
Dennis Cirkin is facing significant uncertainty regarding his participation in Sunderland’s upcoming match against Plymouth Argyle, as reported by the Sunderland Echo. The defender’s potential absence is attributed to an ongoing injury concern that may sideline him for multiple matches.
Cirkin had been a consistent presence for the Black Cats in recent seasons, with little competition from Niall Huggins at the beginning of the current campaign. Unfortunately, the left-back sustained a hamstring injury in September, leading to Huggins stepping in admirably in his absence. Although Cirkin was anticipated to return to the starting lineup due to suspensions to Dan Ballard and Luke O’Nien against Birmingham City, his comeback was thwarted.
Despite making a few cameo appearances, the 21-year-old was slated for a starting role in a more central position against Birmingham City. Regrettably, Cirkin had to withdraw from the squad during the warm-up due to a renewed hamstring injury.
Tony Mowbray, commenting on the situation after the game, stated, “Ultimately, it’s his hamstring. He trained yesterday and said that he felt it after training. When he woke up this morning, it felt fine, good – so we decided to push on. He then went and did the warm-up and said he could feel it again, so we didn’t want to risk it again. He’ll go and have a scan tomorrow, and we’ll see what it is. It’s obviously frustrating for us but great for Nectar [Triantis].”
