Northampton coach Alan Dickens unsure on Dylan Hartley's return following concussion symptoms

England skipper Dylan Hartley's participation in the upcoming summer tour of South Africa is in doubt after Northampton Saints head coach Alan Dickens refused to give a timeline for the return of his club captain.

The 32-year-old has been suffering from concussion symptoms since the final round of the Six Nations Championship clash against Ireland and is yet to undergo the return-to-play protocols.

"Dylan reported concussion symptoms after the Ireland game so it's one of those he'll go through the return-to-play protocols," said Dickens.

"In terms of the focus on concussion now, it's a concern for all the players. That's why they're so stringent in terms of the process to return to play. We'll do what's right by Dylan."

Two years back Hartley missed a total of 14 weeks of action after sustaining a couple of head injuries and admitted that his career could well be over with another such concussion. The Northampton Saints hooker also stated that he could not remember lifting the 2016 Six Nations Trophy after he suffered a head injury during the Grand Slam winning victory over France.

"If I got another one now, I would be worried," Hartley said after his second head injury during that time. "I would probably start looking at other careers or stuff like that, or maybe a long lay-off."