PIERRE Ekwah is still playing catch-up after the Sunderland midfielder was forced to sit out of five Championship games in September and October because of a dead leg.
The former West Ham youngster returned to the team late last month and has since started the last six games for the Black Cats, but boss Tony Mowbray noted after the weekend defeat to Plymouth that he felt Ekwah was "a yard off it" and "not up to speed".
That, says assistant Mark Venus, is because the nature of the injury the midfielder suffered earlier in the campaign meant Ekwah was limited in terms of what he could do during his rehab.
Sunderland's medical and coaching team are now working closely with Ekwah on a programme built around matches that will help the 21-year-old regain full sharpness.
"He had a period out of the team where due to his injury it was very difficult for him to condition himself," explained Venus.
"I think he just has to keep training hard, do bits of extra training when the week allows him to and use the game-time to get himself where he was."
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This, for Ekwah, is a new challenge. Not until he joined Sunderland had the young midfielder experienced regular first team football, so this is the first time he's returned from injury to be thrust straight back into action.
Venus said: "When you pick up an injury it's not straight forward that you come back where you left off.
"Time out of the team and not working the body and keeping yourself sharp with training does catch you out. From every experience, Pierre will learn from it. All of the young boys will. Hopefully they learn so the next time it happens they can make the best use of it."
Ekwah has a major role for Sunderland, partly because of his excellence when he's on song and also because the Black Cats don't have many other options in midfield.
Venus said: "He's certainly at the forefront of that position and I think he's taken that responsibility on very well up to his injury.
"Again, he's a young boy, this is his first experience of first team football. He understands the demands of the role and what it entails and he's working hard."
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