Sunderland have received a 'major boost' with the news that centre-back Aji Alese is back from injury this weekend, following an update from James Hunter.

The Lowdown: Sunderland back in action

The Black Cats haven't played since the 2-1 victory at Birmingham City on November 11, with the World Cup in Qatar prompting a hiatus in the club season.

Sunderland are back in action on Saturday as they host Millwall in what is the only Championship fixture of the day.

Alese hasn't been in action since the 2-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers in October because of a foot issue, but he is on course to return this weekend.

The Latest: Hunter drops Alese update

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for Chronicle Live, Hunter revealed that the 21-year-old is back fit again and could feature against Millwall tomorrow.

He tweeted:

"'Monster' Aji Alese's return is a major boost for #safc"

The Verdict: Massive boost for Black Cats

This is an undoubted boost for Sunderland, with Alese such an important presence already despite his tender years, being hailed as a 'seriously good' player by podcaster Tom Edwards during his time at West Ham.

The Englishman has done well in his 10 appearances for the Black Cats since joining permanently in the summer, averaging 2.7 clearances and 1.8 tackles per game in the league this season. Those returns see him rank among the top five for both metrics at the Stadium of Light.

Whether or not Tony Mowbray throws Alese straight into the starting line-up on Saturday remains to be seen, but the probability that the whole squad could be lacking some rhythm after so long without playing makes it less of a risk than it would in the thick of a hectic fixture schedule.