Aji Alese could be included on the bench for Sunderland's crucial Championship play-off semi-final second leg at Luton Town. The Black Cats head to Kenilworth Road tomorrow holding a slender lead after coming from behind to win the first leg 2-1 on Wearside on Saturday evening.
Sunderland played the final three games of the regular season without any recognised centre-backs following injuries to Alese and Danny Batth, and that situation was unchanged for the first game against Luton at the weekend. Batth has no chance of returning before next season, but Alese is close to returning from the thigh injury he suffered in early March and head coach Tony Mowbray said that the 22-year-old took part in training at the Academy of Light today.
Alese could not start against Luton, but he might be called upon late in the game if Sunderland find themselves having to withstand an aerial assault from the Hatters. "Alese trained today, which is good," said Mowbray.
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"I've discussed with him about maybe being on the bench. He's a 6ft 3in kid who can run up and down all day, so maybe we'll get him on the pitch if they [Luton] are chasing a goal and putting things into our box.
"It would be good to have someone over the height of six feet in there to be able to head it out."
Mowbray is still waiting to find out whether Patrick Roberts and Alex Pritchard will be fit for tomorrow's game, saying they are 'touch and go'. Both were substituted in the final ten minutes of the game, Roberts with what looked like a thigh issue and Pritchard after taking a whack in a challenge with Gabe Osho.
Mowbray said: "Pritchard and Roberts are touch and go, I would suggest. They might both make it, they both might not make it, or one might make it, we'll have to wait and see.
"I sit here today not really knowing. One of them trained today, one of them didn't, so let's see if there’s a reaction.
"The other one is saying, 'in 24 hours I should be better'. Let's see how things are tomorrow."
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