Aji Alese says he rushed injury return: 'I felt it was the best thing to do for the team'

Aji Alese has opened up about his injury problems this season, although he is now confident that he has put them behind him.

Alese has been a revelation in the Sunderland side this season following his move from West Ham in the summer. The 22-year-old has settled into first-team football brilliantly and already looks like one of the bargains of the season.

He has struggled with injury too, though, which may just be a case of his body adjusting to the rigours of senior football.

He has missed ten games in total, five before the World Cup break and five since Boxing Day. He played three matches between them, but he says the injury was same one for both spells on the sidelines.

He was pressed into a return to the side earlier than planned the second time due to a defensive injury crisis, but thankfully it appears to have been a gamble than paid off.

“It did not fully heal so I took some time out to try and get it right,” Alese told safc.com. “I was rushed in earlier than expected, luckily there have been no setbacks.

“I was quite tough as I was not feeling 100% and it’s not always great going into a game knowing you are not playing at your 100% capabilities, but I felt it was the best thing to do to help the team and the club.

“It was difficult to come back into the team and regain my fitness but now I’ve played the last two ninety minutes I feel like each game I’m getting fitter and fitter and playing more to my full capabilities.

“Hopefully I can stay fit and help the team in any way possible whether it is on the defensive side or getting forward as well.

“That’s my main goal, to stay fit and help the team in whatever way possible.

“When I first came back into the team against Middlesbrough, I was not quite 100% fit but since then I have been regaining my fitness and I now feel a lot sharper, so I need to keep building on that.”

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