Aji Alese explains complicated Sunderland injury, what happened last season and Tony Mowbray's message

Sunderland defender Aji Alese doesn't believe he was rushed back at the end of last season before suffering a recurrence of his thigh injury.

Alese initially suffered the setback during March's game against Stoke but did return off the bench for the second leg of Sunderland's play-off semi-final against Luton in May, when Tony Mowbray was in charge. The 22-year-old then underwent surgery on the issue later that month, meaning he had to wait until Monday's win over Preston to make his first senior appearance this season.

When asked if he put himself forward to play in the Luton game, Alese replied: "It was a bit of both. I'd suffered the injury against Stoke in March and I'd done all the rehab so it wasn't a case of not being fit and forcing myself to play with an injury. I had recovered and it was my first game back.

"Obviously it then reoccurred which was a shame but there was the incentive of maybe getting promoted to the Premier League and possibly playing at Wembley and helping the team. So it was a balance and it was a choice that, ultimately, I made. The gaffer said to me 'if you're not right then don't play, but if you can help the team then help the team' and ultimately that was what happened."

Asked after the Preston game if he'd been extra cautious coming back this time around, Alese replied: "Potentially, yeah. I feel good and as long as I feel good I'll be out there and do whatever I can for the team. Injuries happen - it's part of the game and you just have to deal with it when it comes and work your hardest to keep it away.

"It's been a long time coming - I think it has been seven months now so it was great to be out there and to get the win. It was a complicated injury and it recurred against Luton so I had surgery in the summer and I've just been working since then to get back, and this was my first day back."