Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has shared an injury update regarding Aji Alese after the 21-yaer-old missed the Black Cats' 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.

The Lowdown: Sunderland beat Blackburn

The Wearsiders' latest league outing saw them come from behind to beat Blackburn 2-1 thanks to goals from Ross Stewart and a late winner from Ellis Simms.

Having started Sunderland's three previous league games prior to the win over the Lancashire outfit, Alese was not in the squad on this occasion.

Following that Boxing Day victory, Mowbray shared some details regarding the defender's absence and when he is likely to be back.

The Latest: Alese injury update

Sunderland journalist James Copley took to Twitter after that match to share what the Black Cats boss had to say about Alese's injury status ahead of Thursday's trip to Wigan.

The reporter tweeted: 'Aji Alese has an "ankle/foot" injury. Mowbray has described it as a "mechanical" problem. Unlikely to make the trip to the North West for Wigan and Blackpool. #SAFC'

The Verdict: A blow for Sunderland

With the full-back now unlikely to feature in either of Sunderland's next two league games, this will be a blow for Mowbray.

With Alese having the fourth-highest number of clearances (39) at the club in the league this season and the fifth-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (39), there is no doubting his defensive acumen and his importance to the team at the back.

The 21-year-old's  overall performances have earned him a season rating of 6.93/10 from WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated player in Mowbray's squad, further highlighting how impressive he has been in the current campaign.

Everyone at the Stadium of Light will be hoping that the Black Cats will be able to get through their next couple of games unscathed without Alese and then have the defender back in action as soon as possible.