AJI ALESE expects Luke O’Nien’s defensive experience to be crucial to Sunderland’s chances of succeeding in the Championship this season.

Alese is set to line up alongside O’Nien at the heart of Sunderland’s back four when they kick off the new season at Cardiff City on Saturday, with Dan Ballard expected to be unavailable because of injury.

With youngster Zak Johnson also having featured during the pre-season programme, the Black Cats boast a batch of relatively-inexperienced central defenders hoping to feature in the first team.

The outlier in that group is O’Nien, who will turn 30 in November and boasts more than 400 senior appearances in the Football League. The versatile defender is one of the most experienced players in the whole of the Sunderland squad, and Alese expects his knowhow to be crucial as the season develops.

“We have a young squad, so to have Luke next to me with that bit of experience and Championship know-how really helps,” said Alese, who joined Sunderland from the youth ranks at West Ham two summers ago. “Having a player next to you talking and guiding you through the game helps massively.”

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At the other end of the experience scale, Sunderland-born Johnson only turned 20 at the end of July, but having benefited from loan spells at Hartlepool United and Dundalk, the Wearsider looks ready to become a regular member of Regis Le Bris’ first-team group.

“He’s (Johnson) very good,” said Alese. “I saw him last year before he went away. He’s doing well, called up to England (Under-18s), went away and had a good loan and since he came back, he's been very good.

“We’re all learning, and we have good players in every position of the pitch. Everyone knows they need to perform to keep their shirt or someone is waiting who wants it.”