Régis Le Bris offers Aji Alese update after defender suffers 'serious' knee injury against Stoke City

Régis Le Bris has provided an update on Aji Alese after the defender was taken off against Stoke City with a knee injury.

Alese was stretchered off in the second half of the third-round clash after going down holding his knee in the 58th minute. The former West Ham man started at left-back instead of Dennis Cirkin for the clash but was replaced by Zak Johnson after suffering the issue. After the game against Stoke City, Le Bris confirmed that the injury to Alese was “probably” serious.

The 23-year-old has endured several injury issues since joining Sunderland, missing 13 games with a thigh issue between March and May of 2023, but now looks like he could be on the sidelines once again for an extended period following his latest setback, though the extent of his problem is not yet known.

“Probably, we'll see tomorrow morning for the diagnosis but it looks serious,” Le Bris said when asked about Alese after the game. “It's always a shame for a player, for a team-mate, because a serious injury for their health and their career is still difficult. It's difficult for him especially, it's difficult for the group because it's important for us. At the same time, we'll have good support for him for the next weeks.”

Le Bris also confirmed that Cirkin, Patrick Roberts and Anthony Patterson were fit ahead of Sunderland’s next two games in the Championship against Burnley and Derby County after the trio dropped out of his squad for the FA Cup against Stoke City.

Sunderland went on to lose the game 2-1 after extra time following Niall Ennis’ winner for Stoke City in the dying embers of the 120 minutes. Tom Cannon gave the visitors the lead early in the first half of normal time before Milan Aleksic equalised after the break. However, it was Stoke City who advanced to the fourth round under new manager Mark Robins.

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Le Bris opted to name five changes ahead of the game, with Aaron Connolly, Chris Rigg, Harrison Jones, Leo Hjelde and Simon Moore replacing Wilson Isidor, Jobe Bellingham, Roberts, Chris Mepham and Patterson after Sunderland’s last league game against Portsmouth.

Explaining the changes, Le Bris added: “I think it was important, one, to respect the competition because it's an important competition for the club and the fans. It was a good team and at the same time, it was an opportunity for us to give game time for some players and to give them another positive experience.

“Even if at the end it's a defeat. But nothing can replace the competition and the official competition and I think for them it was a good experience and at the end, we'll have one, two, three more players available for the Championship.”

Sunderland are next in action against Burnley in the Championship at Turf Moor on Friday.