Kansas City's Matt Besler still sidelined with concussion concern

Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler will miss Saturday's match with the New York Red Bulls after failing to pass the MLS' concussion protocol.

Besler, 29, has been out since suffering a head injury in training with the U.S. men's national team March 24, missing both the 4-0 victory over Guatemala in Columbus, Ohio, and Sporting's defeat at home to Real Salt Lake last Saturday.

"As soon as I'm able to pass that, I'll be available and hopefully be able to be back on the field," Besler told Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star.

"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."

The 31-time capped central defender has been a mainstay with Sporting since being drafted eighth overall in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft on the heels of a decorated career at Notre Dame.

Since then, Besler has made 179 appearances for the two-time MLS Cup winners and started all four of the U.S. matches in the 2014 World Cup.

After starting the 2016 MLS campaign with three wins on the bounce before the defeat to Salt Lake, Sporting will be without Besler for a second consecutive match.

"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."

The club will be weary of the consequences of head injuries after 'keeper Tim Melia was the victim of a kick to the head from Portland Timbers winger Rodney Wallace during last season's playoffs.

Melia managed to play another 14 minutes before exiting the match with concussion-like symptoms, bringing the MLS' concussion protocol and the involvement of team doctors into question.

Former MLS player and current analyst Taylor Twellman, whose career was ended by concussions and is a vocal advocate of the threats of head injuries, was skeptical of the handling of the Melia incident.