The unexpected Sunderland injury update that could provide significant boost ahead of play-offs

If there is a member of Sunderland’s current first team squad who deserves a little bit of good fortune on the injury front, then surely it is Aji Alese.

The defender, so impressive when fit and firing, has found himself repeatedly hamstrung by setbacks in recent times, and this season has proven to be no different. After starting the campaign as a willing and incredibly able presence in Regis Le Bris’ back four, the 24-year-old was struck down by an ankle complaint in late August, eventually playing his way back into contention towards the end of November, only to suffer a horrific blow during an FA Cup defeat at the hands of Stoke City in mid-January.

From the moment Alese hit the deck in fairly innocuous circumstances that afternoon, you feared that his lay-off would be a lengthy one. Subsequent scans confirmed that he had broken his leg and damaged his hand, with both injuries requiring surgery. At the time, head coach Le Bris was unequivocal in his assessment. “He will miss the remainder of the season,” the Sunderland boss said. “We will see him again in pre-season.”

And then, last week, a plot twist of sorts. In a wide-ranging update on the fitness of his squad during a pre-match press conference, Le Bris suggested that quite aside from being out for the foreseeable, Alese had, somehow, managed to drag himself back to the cusp of fitness.

"It's a good sign when you are in the physio room you can feel the mood of the injured players”, the Frenchman explained. “We can feel positive vibes. It means they are connected and want to be part of the process. Aji was expected to be out for the full season but he will be close in two weeks. He's worked hard to be connected with the team.”

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It was a piece of good news that few outside of the club saw coming, and one that - if all goes to plan - could see Alese sneak his way back into Le Bris’ match day squad in time for Sunderland’s looming play-off campaign. A fortnight from now takes us to the end of April, and the Black Cats’ semi-finals are likely to be played on May 9th and 13th, assuming they finish fourth or fifth in the table. Beyond that, should Le Bris’ men make it, the final itself isn’t until May 24th.

That would give Alese the better part of a month to ready himself for Wembley, and while it would be in no way preferable to start a player who has barely kicked a ball since the turn of the year in such a crucial contest, at least having the option of another fit, versatile, and physically imposing defender in and around the squad would surely feel like a significant boost for a side who have looked decidedly threadbare at the back in recent weeks.

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