SUNDERLAND will continue to use their Under-21 set-up to enable summer signing Milan Aleksic to get used to the demands of English football.

Aleksic joined the Black Cats from Radnicki 1923 in the summer after breaking into the Serbian side’s senior ranks last season.

The 19-year-old made 25 appearances in the Serbian top-flight last season, with his two goals and seven assists helping Radnicki qualify for the preliminary rounds of this season’s UEFA Conference League.

Aleksic scored two goals in the Conference League qualifiers prior to joining Sunderland on deadline day, and was also selected in Serbia’s senior international squad for the recent round of Nations League games.

He Is extremely highly rated, with Sunderland understood to have agreed a deal with Radnikci that could eventually be worth around £3m, but while there is excitement about his potential, there is also a strong desire to ease him into his new surrounds.

Having been an unused substitute in last weekend’s Wear-Tees derby win over Middlesbrough, Aleksic made his first appearance in Sunderland colours on Sunday when he played the opening hour of the Under-21s’ 4-3 defeat at Everton.

READ MORE:

Aleksic is training as part of Sunderland’s first-team group and is expected to feature in the matchday squad for Saturday’s Championship game at Watford. However, he will continue to play for the Under-21s in an attempt to help his acclimatise to the English game.

“We want to see more of him (Aleksic),” said Sunderland Under-21s head coach Graeme Murty. “We want to give him a platform to go on and play, along with all the first-team players.

“We keep on saying that we are a willing vehicle for those guys to get in the minutes to get an understanding, to get match fit, to get sharper.”

Aleksic’s presence in the Under-21s team, along with the likes of Jewison Bennette, Adil Aouchiche and Abdoullah Ba, who also featured in the Everton defeat, should aid the development of some of the homegrown youngsters that will be hoping to make their mark at senior level this season.

“We also want to make sure that our young players get the opportunity to play alongside them and show how well they can do,” added Murty, whose second-string side are back in action on Friday evening when they head to Fulham.