TONY MOWBRAY has praised Aji Alese for stepping off the treatment table to turn in a dominant defensive display during yesterday’s Wear-Tees derby win over Middlesbrough.

Alese had been sidelined since mid-December with an ankle injury, and had not been expected to be passed fit to participate in yesterday’s game.

However, with Lynden Gooch and Dennis Cirkin both unavailable because of injuries of their own, Mowbray spoke with the defender in the second half of last week in an attempt to ascertain his wellbeing.

Alese vowed to do all he could to make himself available, and duly produced a superb left-back display as he successfully shackled Middlesbrough forward Marcus Forss in his side’s 2-0 win.

“I need to mention Alese,” said Mowbray, who was able to celebrate a derby win over the club he has previously skippered and managed. “He’s had one training session in five weeks with the team.

“I pulled him into my office and said, 'Look mate, it's either Jack Clarke at left-back for us tomorrow or you step and help us’. He was delighted and it's a huge credit to him to get out there in such a big game, and he did amazing.

“He came off with cramp at the end, but that's the attitude and personality you want from your footballers. It could have gone another way for him after so long out, but he was steady as a rock.”

While Alese was able to make a welcome return, Sunderland suffered another injury blow in the early stages of the game with their skipper, Corry Evans, suffering a knee injury as he went in to make a tackle.

Evans will be assessed in the next 24 hours, although Mowbray is already minded to leave him out of Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round game at Fulham regardless of what this week’s medical tests reveal.

“Corry has taken a knock to the outside of his knee,” he said. “Fingers crossed, it's just a knock and of course it's FA Cup next week anyway. We don't think there's any significant damage.”

Gooch’s latest injury issue is also not expected to be especially serious, although the defender is also expected to miss the trip to Craven Cottage and could also be a doubt for the following weekend’s Championship game at Millwall.

“Lynden went for a scan for a hip problem,” said Mowbray. “We're expecting him to be out for around two to three weeks.”