Sunderland defender takes another major step towards first-team comeback after lengthy absence

Jenson Seelt has taken another positive step forward in his comeback from a major knee injury by making his second appearances in the U21 side on Tuesday night.

Seelt played 60 minutes as Sunderland lost 2-1 to Halifax Town in their final National League Cup group game, a competition they have now exited. Trey Ogunsuyi scored Sunderland's solitary goal as they fell to a narrow defeat, with Seelt playing 15 minutes more than he had against Benfica B on his return a week previous.

Speaking last week, Régis Le Bris said he expected Seelt to be competing for selection for the first team in a few weeks. With the U21s playing three times over the next fortnight, he's likely to get at least another start with Graeme Murty's group before pushing for senior inclusion.

Le Birs says it is difficult to know how quickly Seelt will reach his best level but feels the early indications are promising.

“At the moment, it is difficult to be clear about Jenson’s level, but he has many good attributes for a centre-back," Le Bris said.

"He is tall, he can be quick, but he probably needs time to find his best shape. After a long injury like that, it takes time, and his body has also changed during his time not playing. He has become more physically mature. He is really good with the ball, now it is just a case of getting more experience on the pitch. He will have more games with the Under-21s, and they should be very useful, and then after that we will see what happens with him.”

Seelt's promising progress is one of the reasons why the Black Cats are unlikely to sign another defender before the transfer deadline, despite Aji Alese suffering a broken leg that will rule him out until pre season.

“Now with Jenson, though he will need some weeks more before he is ready and at his best level," Le Bris said last week.

"If we are lucky without any other injuries, we are in a good place with our defenders. We would have seven defenders for four positions and they are players that I like. Some of them are versatile and all of them are really involved in every training session, whether they play or don’t play. The team spirit in this part of the pitch is very good.”

Speaking earlier this week, Seelt thanked Le Bris for his support and said he was excited about the future even if he knows there is still a long way to go.

"The Gaffer has been massively supportive," Le Bris said.

"He gave me a really good feeling from the beginning. He was open to speak to, making sure I was always involved. It has been frustrating to be sidelined but also brilliant to see the team succeeding.

"It is only a motivation to see so many of our young players doing well. We look fresh and I'm excited to fight for my place. I will continue building my minutes after being out for so long. It's small steps but this is an exciting time."

Abdoullah Ba and Jewison Bennette were again absent from the U21s squad on Tuesday as Sunderland look to secure January moves for the pair.