Sunderland have a huge injury concern as they travel to Portsmouth this weekend.
The Black Cats seem to have been plagued with injuries in recent years, with key man Dan Ballard picking up a lengthy problem during pre-season.
Ian Poveda has been the only other absentee though, with the Colombian still waiting to make his Sunderland debut after joining on a free transfer in the summer.
However, Sunderland now look to be without a player who has really impressed in the opening three fixtures.
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Sunderland defender set for spell on the sidelines
Regis Le Bris confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Aji Alese has suffered an injury, while he isn’t sure how serious it is.
When asked if it was a severe problem, the head coach replied: “”We don’t know at the minute. It could be. I’m not very confident for short term. Maybe it could be three or four weeks, so it’s possible. The tests are ongoing and we will have more information in the afternoon. It’s an ankle injury, but I don’t know exactly what.”
If Alese is out for four weeks then that means he could miss games against Portsmouth, Plymouth, Middlesbrough and Watford, though thankfully there is an international break too.
Aji Alese’s injury record is a real worry for Le Bris
The 23-year-old absence will be extremely frustrating given his start to the campaign, but Ballard’s return comes at the perfect time.
The former Arsenal man would have been ahead of Alese in the pecking order if he was fit, but it now makes earning his place back much easier.
Ballard could well have been set for a spell on the bench due to the backline’s form, and now Alese will know he will have a huge challenge on his hands once he is available again.
The defender’s injury record is very concerning for the Black Cats and it does beg the question as to whether his new long-term contract was the best idea.
Alese is an unbelievable player and would definitely play in the Premier League future if he could stay fit, but he has only made 36 senior appearances in two years for the club.
Sunderland definitely need to consider bolstering their central defence with his injury record too, and if he can’t stay fit once he returns then it’s going to become a real problem.