Tony Mowbray has explained his decision to take Aji Alese off at half-time in Sunderland's weekend 5-1 defeat against Stoke City was forced upon him. Left-back Alese was withdrawn at the interval along with on-loan Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt, with Luke O'Nien and Edouard Michut replacing them.
Gelhardt's substitution came in a game in which he had made little impact against Stoke's defence, and the move to replace him with midfielder Michut allowed Mowbray to move Amad into a more central role. But Alese was taken off after suffering an injury in the opening 45 minutes, although Mowbray did not disclose the exact nature of the problem.
Sunderland will now monitor Alese this week in the hope that the will be fit to face Norwich City at Carrow Road on Sunday. "Aji was injured so he had to come off," said Mowbray.
