Tony Mowbray is relaxed about Dennis Cirkin's upcoming suspension - insisting the defender would likely have been rested for Tuesday's home game against Huddersfield Town in any case.
Cirkin was sent off for a second bookable offence with a little over ten minutes remaining of Sunderland's 2-1 win against Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light, leaving his teammates to hang on in the closing stages against the Blues.
But they saw the game out to move up to ninth place in the table and stay in the play-off race. Cirkin's red card means he will now serve a one-match ban that will rule him out of the game against the Terriers on Tuesday.
