Sporting KC captain Matt Besler yet to pass concussion protocol, out for Saturday’s match

Sporting Kansas City will march on without its captain for at least one more week.

Matt Besler said Wednesday he has yet to pass Major League Soccer concussion protocol after suffering a head injury during a training stint with the U.S. men’s national team on March 24. He will not travel with Sporting KC when the club visits the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

While he declined to offer specifics, Besler is still feeling symptoms from the injury, which occurred when he was struck in the head with an attempted shot on goal.

“It was probably 5 or 10 yards in front of me, so I didn’t have any time to react or get out of the way. It just hit me square in the head,” Besler said. “I remember everything. But unfortunately, about two or three hours later, I started experiencing some pretty serious symptoms of a concussion. That’s when we started getting the treatments.”

After being diagnosed with a concussion, Besler was placed into the league’s concussion protocol system. Before the season, MLS players are required to undergo baseline neuropsychological testing. After a head injury, a player must retake the same test and compare the results. He must also be free of all concussion symptoms before returning to play.

“As soon as I’m able to pass that, I’ll be available and hopefully be able to be back on the field,” Besler said.

“It’s tough. Injuries never come at a good time. You always feel like you’re missing out on battling with your teammates. That’s the hardest part of the job.”

Sporting KC, 3-1-0, won its first three matches of the season with Besler in the lineup but lost to Real Salt Lake on Saturday with him absent. Kevin Ellis started in Besler’s place in the center of the defense.

“Matt’s our leader. Obviously he’s a guy that can talk to everybody while being able to see the whole field,” Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber said. “There’s little things you can’t duplicate without Matt in there. But I think Kevin has proved it in the past, and Ike (Opara) has proved it in the past — whoever steps in there can do the job.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Sporting KC captain Matt Besler yet to pass concussion protocol, out for Saturday’s match."