With 17 games played in League One, Sunderland find themselves in a strong position and inside the top two. 

A 2-0 win away to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday meant Jack Ross' Black Cats moved above Peterborough United to occupy second place.

That was their fifth win on the bounce in the third tier and their fourth clean sheet in a row.

The defensive unit of Reece James, Jack Baldwin, Tom Flanagan and Adam Matthews have been absolutely key to the club's success this season.

It has given the rest of the side a solid base on which to build their slick attacks, and looks set to be a key part of their promotion push.

One player who may be looking on with a hint of jealousy is Bryan Oviedo.

At his best, Oviedo should be playing in the Premier League, but he finds himself in League One with Sunderland.

The left-back has made nine appearances in the league this season and assisted three goals in that time, but a few shoddy performances and club's need to cut big wages has put his position at risk.

Here, then, are TWO potential paths the left-back could take...

There is a chance that Oviedo could try to rebrand himself with the club by pushing further up the field.

Defensive capabilities aside, his end product in an attacking sense has always been excellent and he could still be a very useful attacking asset.

It would be well worth raising with Ross.

This is probably the most likely outcome.

Sunderland still need to cut wages and as one of the highest earners, it is probably not worth keeping the 28-year-old.

It is therefore likely that he will find himself playing at a new club come January.

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