Aji Alese will now be unavailable for Sunderland until after the international break.
According to journalist Phil Smith, the defender will need to work on his match fitness for a while before he can play a “prominent role.”
Aji Alese joined Sunderland on a three-year contract from West Ham last summer and quickly became a fan favorite, making 22 appearances in his debut season.
The versatile defender, however, has not played for the Black Cats since suffering a season-ending thigh injury in March. Alese did make the squad for Sunderland’s second leg play-off match against Luton Town in May, but has been out with the same injury since.
Alese spent the majority of his first year with Sunderland on the left side of defense, but Tony Mowbray may move him back to the center due to the form of Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin in his absence.
Fans had hoped to see the 22-year-old in action, but it now appears that they will have to wait more than three weeks for him to return to full fitness.
“Aji Alese is expected to be back before too long, but given the length of his absence, he will need time to build his match fitness,” Phil Smith said in a Q&A with Sunderland Echo.
As a result, he is unlikely to play a significant role until after the next international break.”
Can Aji Alese force his way back into Sunderland’s starting XI?
Given how good he was before his injury, Aji Alese will be an excellent addition to the squad.
As previously stated, it would be surprising to see him play left-back when he returns. Sunderland have struggled for squad depth due to the inexperience of Nectarios Triantis and Jenson Seelt, and could do with someone to compete with Luke O’Nien for a starting spot.
Alese, on the other hand, will most likely remain on the bench for some time after being out for so long. But seeing him make a comeback this month is definitely a step in the right direction.
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