Aitor Karanka: 'Today is the kind of day that you can't explain how we lost the game'

Aitor Karanka refused to criticise his players following Boro's 1-0 home defeat to Leeds United.

The visitors took advantage of a wayward Tomas Mejias throw to grab an early lead with Alex Mowatt's shot taking a deflection off Ben Gibson to wrong-foot the keeper.

Boro then completely dominated a one-sided derby but couldn't find a way past Leeds goalie Marco Silvestri, made several outstanding saves to earn his team all three points.

The hosts suffered a further blow late on when Jelle Vossen was stretchered from the field with concussion and is almost certain to miss Tuesday's home game against Bolton.

A mystified Karanka admitted he couldn't understand how his team lost to Leeds.

“Today is the kind of day that you can't explain how we lost the game,” he said.

“I don't know how many chance we created but football is about goals, football is about points and we have lost today.

“Today, the Leeds keeper today was brilliant. It's not the first time that when we play a team the keeper is the man of the match but I can't say anything bad about my players because they have done everything.

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“The changing room atmosphere is very bad,” he added.

“I used to be a player and I can understand their disappointment because when you have done your best and you can't win the game it is the worst situation.

“Sometimes you don't play your best but you win games but when you have done everything and you have played at your best and you don't win it is bad for everybody.

“But we are doing really well and we are in this position because all of the players have worked very well since the end of the season, I am very proud of them and we have to keep going.”

Ahead of kick-off, a few eyebrows were raised at Karanka's team selection, especially as in-form Patrick Bamford, who scored Boro's 1-1 midweek draw at Birmingham, was named on the bench along Lee Tomlin.

Explaining his thinking, the head coach said: “Last Wednesday we played 45 minutes with 10-men and we have to manage the squad and I need to know how the players are.

“We have another game on Tuesday and another game on Saturday and I always try to choose the best XI.”

On Vossen's condition, he added: “I don't know how he is but I hope it is nothing serious. The main thing is the player's health and I hope Jelle is well as soon as possible.”

Karanka confirmed that Ryan Fredericks was fit and available but he decided not to include him in the squad.