AITOR KARANKA admits it was tough to freeze Jason Steele out of the first-team picture at Middlesbrough last season, but claims subsequent events have proved it was the right decision.  

Steele’s only appearance in Karanka’s first 31 matches as Boro’s head coach came in the Spaniard’s debut game, and saw the popular goalkeeper sent off for a professional foul as Boro slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Leeds United.

The former England Under-21 international sustained a hand injury during his suspension, and by the time he returned to full fitness, he had fallen behind Dimi Konstantopoulos in Boro’s goalkeeping pecking order.

Tomas Mejias’ arrival from Real Madrid cast him further into the shadows, and while he made a token appearance in the 4-1 win at Yeovil on the final game of last season, he joined Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan in September.

The terms of his loan means he cannot appear in tomorrow’s game at the Riverside, and with his Boro contract due to expire at the end of the season, his relationship with the Teessiders is effectively at an end.

Karanka admits it was hard to turn his back on a player who first joined Boro’s academy at the age of 13, even if Konstantopoulos’ subsequent performances have more than justified his decision.

“It was a difficult decision, but time has shown it was the right one,” said the Boro boss. “My decision was to keep Dimi here, and now Dimi has conceded eight goals in the last 15 games, with eight clean sheets.

“It was difficult at the time because I knew how important Jason had been to this club, but I could only think about the team, and thinking about the team, I thought Dimi was the way to go.

“Dimi was very good last season, and is playing very well now. Jason is playing with Blackburn, so all of us are happy.

“If Jason had stayed, there is a good chance that Dimi would have left at the end of his contract. That’s football. I always tell my players how important it is to be ready at any moment because you never know when your chance is going to arrive.

“Dimi is the perfect example of that. He was the fourth keeper when I came here, but now he is the first one and he is the best.”

Just as Steele cannot appear in tomorrow’s game, so Boro midfielder Adam Clayton will also find himself on the sidelines as he serves a one-match suspension following his fifth booking of the season in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic.

Karanka must decide whether to play Dean Whitehead or Milos Veljkovic alongside Grant Leadbitter at the heart of midfield, with the former boasting superior experience and the latter desperate for a chance to impress after moving on loan from Tottenham.

“This is the only doubt that I have for Saturday,” said Karanka. “Milos or Dean? Both of them are very good players, and I have to manage that.

“One of them is an experienced, veteran player who knows the league and the team; the other one is a very young lad, but I am sure he is going to have a very good future. I hope to take the right decision, but both of them can play.”

Karanka is also having to manage expectations when it comes to Jelle Vossen, the Belgian international striker who has started just three matches since moving to Middlesbrough on a season-long loan from Genk.

Boro spent the best part of 18 months trying to sign Vossen, so when a deal eventually went through in August, it was anticipated the 25-year-old would quickly cement a place in Karanka’s starting line-up.

Instead, Kike and Patrick Bamford have dominated the attacking duties, with Vossen, who has racked up just 50 minutes in his last five substitute appearances, performing a bit-part role.

“He has to understand his role at the club, and I think he does,” said Karanka. “For me, it is amazing to have a player like Jelle as part of the squad and ready to make an impact.

“He is always ready to play, and although he has only really been playing for five or ten minutes so far, he has always done well. One day, his chance is going to arrive and I am sure he is going to take it.

“He likes to play as a striker, but he is not necessarily a typical striker because he likes to drop to take the ball and play. He is a very good player, but he has to wait for his chance. It is a very good problem for me to have.”