Sunderland AFC: Regis Le Bris confirms frustrating Dennis Cirkin news | OneFootball

Dennis Cirkin is set to be out of action for "two to three weeks".

Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Sunderland's star left-back Dennis Cirkin will be out for "two or three weeks" as he recovers from an injury he sustained against Coventry City.

The 22-year-old has been one of the standout players of the season for the Black Cats, having made an impressive recovery from an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign.

Cirkin and his right-back counterpart, Trai Hume, have provided the balance Le Bris needs, but he will now have to cope without his key left-back for several matches.

The injury occurred early in the second half against the Sky Blues, as Sunderland were beaten 3-0 by their play-off rivals. This led to Le Bris bringing on Jenson Seelt as his replacement, and the 21-year-old may be called upon more frequently in the coming weeks.

For Cirkin, the injury was not only a setback for his time at Sunderland, but also a blow to his chances of representing England at Under-21 level, which he had been called up for by Lee Carsley. It marked his first call-up to the Three Lions since playing for the Under-19s in 2021, having previously represented his country at various youth levels, including Under-20, Under-18, Under-17, and Under-16.

Regis Le Bris confirms Cirkin blow

Speaking to the press before Saturday's game against Millwall, Le Bris confirmed that his left-back would be out for the coming weeks.

"Yeah, probably two or three more weeks," Le Bris responded when asked about Cirkin by the Sunderland Echo.

"The season was like that, with many injuries and opportunities for other players. So, to manage a situation like that."

In all likelihood, a 14-day absence will see Cirkin miss at least three matches, with the possibility of four if he's not fully fit for the April 12th fixture against Swansea City.

This isn't the only blow for the French head coach either, with former Leeds United defender, Leo Hjelde, also set to be out for Millwall and possibly next week's fixture as well.

Regis Le Bris will be rueing Sunderland injury crisis

Le Bris has done an exceptional job in transforming Sunderland from mid-table obscurity into serious play-off contenders, but the injuries have come at a crucial moment, threatening to derail their momentum.

In addition to the concerns over Cirkin and Hjelde, the 49-year-old faces a number of other injury problems, with Daniel Ballard, Enzo Le Fee, Salis Abdul Samed, Jayden Danns, and several others still sidelined.

This makes selection a real issue and will likely force Le Bris to play some square pegs in round holes.

His main hope will be that his current squad can secure a top-six finish, with the majority of players fit and available for what will be a crucial play-off campaign in May.