The Sunderland coach now explains why one of their stars has recently appeared “a yard off it.”

Pierre Ekwah has had a lot of difficulty since returning from injury for Sunderland, and Mark Venus has explained why.

After a month-long absence from the field, the Black Cats coach acknowledged to The Northern Echo that the Frenchman was still working on his fitness.

Prior to this season, Pierre Ekwah had made a name for himself as one of Sunderland’s key players. He had won accolades after scoring twice in the team’s 5-0 victory over Southampton in September.

But Ekwah was limited to one more game before a dead leg kept him out of five Championship games.

The midfielder didn’t perform up to par after coming back into the game against Stoke City.

Recent games have seen Ekwah play notably poorly; supporters have criticized the 21-year-old, and even Tony Mowbray has acknowledged that he was “a yard off it” and “not up to speed.”

But Mark Venus has since clarified that his performances have suffered as a result of his gradual recovery from the injury.

Venus stated, “He had a period out of the team where it was very difficult for him to condition himself due to his injury.”

“Resuming where you left off after an injury is not always easy to achieve.

“Taking time off from the team, not exercising your body, and maintaining your fitness level through training can catch you out.” Pierre will take lessons from every experience. The little boys all will. Hopefully, they pick up on it so they can use it to their advantage the next time it occurs.