Sunderland boss explains possible cause of club's injury issues and gives Dennis Cirkin update

Aji Alese became the latest player to be ruled out for the remainder of the season this week, as tests on the thigh problem that saw him replaced during the defeat to Stoke City confirmed the worst-case scenario.

Corry Evans and Ross Stewart have already been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, while Elliot Embleton is unlikely to play a major role before the end of the campaign as he recovers from his own long-term injury.

Mowbray also saw another 'important' player pick up an injury ahead of the trip to Norwich City on Sunday.

The head coach believes the issues aren't a result of an issue with training or preparation, as so many of them have been contact injuries.

But he did add that the added demands being placed on his squad so inexperienced at the level may well be taking their toll.

Mowbray said: "I think you have to break down each injury one by one, because you have to look at in terms of whether you're pushing them too hard etc.

"So are they muscle injuries, are they all game injuries? Having been through it with the medical department, I don't think we are [pushing them too far].

"Having played at the League One level for four years, this level is very different and a lot of the players have played 30-odd games consecutively. It becomes difficult.

"If you look at Ross he played just about every game last season yet he's had two major injuries since I've been here. But it's a warm-up and an in-game injury, not ones on the training pitch where maybe he's been pushed too hard in a session.

"Maybe their bodies are just finding that the extra intensity of playing in this league is difficult. It's frustrating, because we want to be competitive - it's not as if we have to make a dozen points [to get back into the play-offs]. We have to keep believing, keep going and doing what we believe in and see where the season takes us."

Mowbray also stressed the importance of taking a cautious approach with Dennis Cirkin, who remains absent from the squad as he continues to experience some symptoms of the concussion he suffered at Millwall last month.

Cirkin is training on his own at the Academy of Light but has not yet been cleared to return to contact training, and so looks unlikely to play any part in Sunderland's three fixtures this week.

"Dennis is still having some dizzy spells, and so we don't want him to be doing any contact training," Mowbray said.

"He's been doing some running and training on his own.

"As long as he still feels symptoms, we will be governed by the protocols and I'll follow the medical department. I'll wait until they tell me that he can join in full training and then when he's been able to do that for a little while, I'll have a conversation with him and see if he's ready."