Aji Alese issues promise to Sunderland fans after latest setback revealed | OneFootball

It would be fair to say that Aji Alese has endured a campaign of mixed emotions during his first season at Sunderland.

Having joined the club on a permanent basis only last summer, the 21-year-old seems to have been through an awful lot since then.

How did Aji Alese's first season at Sunderland go?

Indeed, upon his arrival, having played very little senior football before in his young career, he was made to wait for his opportunity, appearing just twice in Sunderland's opening eight league matches.

Those two outings were for two and four minutes respectively, too, but with Dennis Cirkin picking up an injury, Alese got the not to start.

The youngster went on to start the club's next seven matches, before his own injury then struck, with an ankle problem keeping him sidelined for five games.

He then returned to the side briefly, before a foot injury once again ruled him out for a handful of games.

Coming back into the side in January and remaining fit through to March, Alese had made the left-back spot his own, but once again, injury would strike.

This time, though, a thigh problem that would see him miss the remainder of the league campaign.

Remarkably, Alese did make it back in time for Sunderland's play-off semi-final second leg, appearing for 33 minutes, but it was to be heartbreak on the night, with the club being beaten by the Hatters.

What is the latest setback for Aji Alese?

That Luton defeat will have hurt, but there has been more bad news to come since.

That is as per Alese's recent Instagram post, in which he sent a message to Sunderland fans, and revealed that he had undergone surgery due to a reoccurrence of an injury.

During the post, the defender vowed to Sunderland fans he'd be back better than ever.

Indeed, on Instagram, Alese wrote: "Definitely not how I hoped to be spending this Saturday afternoon in particular but unfortunately the injury that kept me out the final part of last season reoccurred."

"Hopefully this will help me get to the bottom of it once and for all.

"I promise I’ll be back fitter and stronger! See you soon."

When will Aji Alese be fit for Sunderland?

It is unclear at this stage just how long this surgery will keep him out for.

Given the new season is still over two months away, though, you would like to think that Alese could be ready to return by then, or at the very latest, early in the campaign.