George North knocked out: Concussed North’s season in doubt after Northampton Saints wing suffers third head injury

Northampton Saints are likely to come under pressure to stand George North down for the rest of the season after the Wales and Lions wing was concussed for a third time in four months in the Premiership win over Wasps.

At the age of 22, North is one of the brightest stars of the world game, a try-scoring colossus with 52 caps for his country and the victorious 2013 Lions.

His long-term health must be a concern after he appeared to be knocked out on Friday in the act of scoring by a collision with Wasps’ Nathan Hughes’s leg.

North did not go to hospital and put on a brave face for supporters yesterday, tweeting “Thanks for all the messages. Feeling ok, up and about.”

But Dr Willie Stewart, a neurosurgeon who consults on brain injuries for World Rugby, is known to favour a mandatory standdown period in cases of multiple concussion.

North was hurt playing for Wales against New Zealand last November and missed the next match against South Africa. He suffered again against England in February, after which Wales’s neurologist identified three blows to North’s head – accidental collisions with England’s Dave Attwood and Welsh hooker Richard Hibbard plus another when North fell to the ground.

North was removed for a concussion test after the Attwood incident, but returned to play on, and the Welsh medical staff did not see the Hibbard collision.

Wales rested North against Scotland nine days later, despite him saying: “It’s rugby, not table tennis or tiddlywinks.”

North lies unconscious after being kneed in the head

Northampton go to Clermont Auvergne for a European Champions Cup quarter-final next Saturday before the Premiership leaders undertake the league run-in.

On Friday, the Saints’ director of rugby Jim Mallinder expressed hope North would be available for the Clermont tie, adding: “We will make sure that he comes back when he is right.”

But playing now seems unlikely and attention may move instead to Wales’s pre-World Cup training camp in June.

A Northampton club statement yesterday said: “After the game North was conscious. He has been into the club today for treatment and will continue to be monitored throughout the weekend.

“Northampton Saints places the highest importance on player welfare and as such North will see a specialist early next week.”

Some Northampton fans claimed North was hurt twice on Friday, with an earlier with Wasps’ hat-trick scorer Christian Wade highlighted on social media.

Harlequins’ England full-back Mike Brown, who was knocked out against Italy on 14 February, was left out of yesterday’s match against Saracens at Wembley after feeling dizzy on Monday and won’t play again for at least another fortnight.