DESPITE sitting just one place above the Premier League's relegation zone after five matches, Michael Chopra is confident Sunderland's fortunes will soon improve.

After a promising start to life back in the top tier of English football - claiming four points from their first two outings - the Black Cats have since lost their last four games.

Two of those, admittedly, have been against Liverpool and Manchester United but it was the anaemic performances at Wigan and Luton in the Carling Cup which caused many alarm bells to ring.

However, with fixtures against Reading, Middlesbrough and Blackburn on the horizon before the trip to Arsenal on October 7, Chopra insists points will soon be on the agenda again after the two-week international break.

"It has not all been disappointing. Even at Wigan we could have got something and you are not expected to get points off teams like Man United and Liverpool," said Chopra.

"But it's right. Whenever you play Reading, Wigan and teams down there battling around you, you have to take as many points as you can.

"Come Reading we need those three points because we let ourselves down big time at Wigan. We have to start from the whistle. We can't afford to be slow out of the blocks.

"At times a break can be good for you and at other times it can hurt you. It can upset the rhythm. But because we have lost four games on the bounce it has given us time to regroup. We have to work on our plans for the Reading game and things are going well."

Despite having the pressure of being a former Newcastle striker on his shoulders, Chopra has been one of the most encouraging aspects of Sunderland's display so far.

The 23-year-old, a surprise £5m signing from Cardiff, scored two goals in his first two appearances and has looked lively in the other outings despite failing to add to his tally.

Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager, asked the former England Under-21 international to play on the right of a five-man midfield at Old Trafford a week ago and he performed admirably.

But Chopra is looking forward to the opportunity to revert to his striker role and is relishing the prospect of teaming up with towering £6m striker Kenwyne Jones.

"I'm very pleased on a personal note," he said. "I could not have wished for a better start to score on my debut against Tottenham and in the next game at Birmingham.

"I learned a lot from last week's outings at United when I played right midfield - where I played many times for England Under-15s through to Under-18s.

"Whenever the ball got booted up to Kenwyne Jones we were told to get up and support. It was hard. But I'm looking forward to playing up there with him."

Chopra's hopes of improved service could well come in the shape of Carlos Edwards against Reading.

Edwards has been back in full training after recovering from a hamstring strain suffered in the second game of the season at Birmingham. But the winger is ahead of schedule and could figure against the Royals.

Sunderland have signed New Zealand trialist Jack Pelter on a short-term deal.