Middlebrough boss Aitor Karanka has no plans to enter the loan market now that the ‘emergency’ window has opened
Middlesbrough's Manager Aitor Karanka
Aitor Karanka has no plans to enter the loan market now that the ‘emergency’ window has opened.
The Boro boss has declared himself satisfied with his first team squad as things stand.
The emergency loan window opens a week after the January deadline day and this year won’t close until March 28.
“I’m happy with the squad because the thing I wanted at the start of January was a better squad at the end of the month,” said Karanka. “I don’t want to say the players I have at the moment are better than the players that have left, but the squad as a whole is better.
“I wanted just 20 or 21 outfield players in the squad because we had too many people at training.
“The young players who have gone out on loan are better off because they are playing and gaining experience while Lukas Jutkiewicz has the chance to recover his confidence at Bolton and Marvin Emnes is playing in the Premier League with Swansea.
“So they are all happy and the players who have joined us will improve the squad and have a chance to help us over the remainder of the season.”
Boro may choose to take players on loan if they suffer a spate of injuries in one position and may opt to bring in another keeper when Shay Given returns to Aston Villa at the end of the month.
That’s not to say Jason Steele won’t be given a chance to stake a claim when he’s fully recovered from his ankle problem.
Karanka revealed that the young keeper could step up his fitness regime by playing for the under-21 team before too long.
He said: “Jason is training well, our medical staff say he’ll soon play an under-21 game and will be with us as soon as possible.”
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