Aji Alese and Elias Lenz both returned to action as Sunderland Under-21s drew with Wolves, offering a timely injury boost for Graeme Murty

Aji Alese and Elias Lenz both took important steps forward in their recoveries as Sunderland Under-21s drew 2-2 away at Wolverhampton Wanderers in Premier League 2 on Monday night.

The pair were handed valuable minutes by Graeme Murty, with Lenz making his first appearance in more than ten months and Alese continuing his gradual return after a long spell on the sidelines. Their involvement was one of the key positives to emerge from a contest in which Sunderland showed resilience after an early setback.

Wolves made a fast start and went ahead inside six minutes when Leonardo Lopes reacted quickest after Ben Metcalf had initially saved Daniel Mangue’s header. Sunderland responded well and grew into the game, with Rhys Walsh restoring parity midway through the first half with a powerful finish. The visitors continued to carry a threat, and Jack Whittaker forced a smart save from Alfie Brooks before finding the net himself shortly after the restart.

A long ball over the top caused problems in the Wolves defence, allowing Whittaker to show composure as he rounded the goalkeeper and rolled the ball into the empty net. Despite Sunderland’s control, the hosts levelled with 15 minutes remaining when Luke Rawlings poked home from inside the area, ensuring the points were shared.

For Murty, the night was less about the result and more about building minutes into players returning from injury. Alese’s presence at the back and Lenz’s return to competitive action marked encouraging milestones as both continue their respective comebacks.

Sunderland nearly claimed a late winner, with Marcus Neill firing over from close range before Walsh forced Brooks into a low save in stoppage time. Murty’s side return to action on Sunday when they host Leicester City at Eppleton in Premier League 2 (1pm kick-off).

Régis Le Bris makes Sunderland transfer point

Régis Le Bris says Brian Brobbey’s recent rise to prominence at Sunderland highlights why patience is often required with attacking signings, particularly for clubs operating within clear financial limits.

The striker has established himself as Sunderland’s leading centre-forward in recent weeks, scoring five times this season after nodding home against West Ham United at the weekend. Alongside his goals, Brobbey has impressed with his physical presence, link-up play and ability to bring others into the game.

Brobbey joined the Black Cats late in the summer window and arrived short of full sharpness following a challenging previous campaign. Le Bris has consistently stressed that forwards, especially at Premier League level, often need time to settle – a reality shaped by the type of players Sunderland are able to recruit.

“When we analysed his profile, we thought it was a really strong profile for our squad,” Le Bris said. “We can't buy a player who is [already] ready, it's not possible, especially in those positions, forwards and wingers. Those profiles are really rare. We spoke about what we need, our game model and the requirements of the league. His profile was really good.

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“The question after was his desire, is he coachable or not, and we were really comfortable when we assessed his profile. The conditions were good. Then we needed to give him opportunities. It was progressive. He didn't start at the beginning, then he came off the bench and started during the festive period. “Brian is getting better. We can feel his confidence and his fitness level, and he's still really young. He's a new player in this league, 23 years old.”

Le Bris also pointed to the unpredictable nature of recruitment, explaining how Sunderland’s eventual move for Brobbey was shaped by developments elsewhere in the market.

“It's the unpredictability of the market,” he explained. “When we look back at the transfer window you can say we are always well organised, and I think that's the case. But it's [still] so unpredictable. You can go for one player, then two weeks later it's another one, and the other one might end up better than the first one. With Brian we had a conversation at the beginning of the market, then Marc Guiu was connected with us. Marc had to go back to Chelsea, a spot was open now, and Brian was possible.”

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