Aitor Karanka: 'There is no timescale for replacing Higgy as assistant head coach'

Boro will be in no rush to replace departed assistant head coach Craig Hignett and do not have someone already primed for the role.

That’s according to Aitor Karanka, who admitted there is no timescale for replacing his number two.

Hignett’s departure came as a shock to Boro fans on Tuesday, with Karanka admitting a difference of opinion sparked the ex-player’s exit.

Yesterday’s revelation that Pablo Mastroeni, an ex-team mate of Karanka’s and Colorado Rapids coach, has arrived on Teesside on a short placement to help his technical development sparked rumours that he was set to be Boro’s new assistant.

But Karanka has today poured cold water on the rumours.

“Pablo is head coach of Colorado Rapids and is not coming here to work with us”, Karanka told the club’s website.

“He is an old team mate and a friend. We were talking about a player we have been looking at and from that conversation it was agreed that Pablo could come over to watch the coaching methods in this country for a week to develop his own education, no more than that.

ColoradoRapids.com

“When the Colorado Rapids website said Pablo was coming to work with me, everyone over here jumped to conclusions that he would be coming to work as Higgy’s replacement.

“That is simply not the case.

“There is nothing to report regarding Higgy’s replacement. There is no timescale. It could be tomorrow, it could be next week, it could be next month.”