MIDDLESBROUGH are awaiting referee Mark Clattenburg’s match report to learn if its contents could lead to a double blow to Aitor Karanka and the club.

After an explosive and controversial ending to Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw with Blackburn at the Riverside on Saturday, Karanka can expect a touchline ban from the Football Association after he was sent to the stands for taking his protests about Rovers’ equaliser too far.

But, in a further development, there have been reports of alleged racial abuse directed at the Blackburn goalscorer Rudy Gestede from somewhere in the Riverside crowd and the FA are waiting to see if Clattenburg has included the incident in his report.

The situations arrived during the celebrations in the fifth minute of added time when Gestede made the most of a chance that fell his way inside the Boro box when the home side looked like holding on to a 1-0 win.

The Boro camp was furious that the goal was allowed to stand when former Sunderland striker Chris Brown clearly shoved goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos in the back as he attempted to gather a cross. Behind that incident, team-mate Ben Gibson was also being climbed on by Shane Duffy.

But Clattenburg allowed play to go on and Gestede snatched a point, leading to protests from the Boro players and bench. Karanka’s frustrations boiled over and he got too close to fourth official David Coote in the technical area. He was told to leave his dug-out before the end of the game.

The likelihood is that the Spaniard will now face a touchline ban in the build up to Christmas and the length will be determined by what appears in Clattenburg’s report. Karanka was quick to say sorry but he was still annoyed by the decision and aspects of the officials’ approach to the game.

He said: “I don’t think I can say everything that I feel because I might have a problem. It was unbelievable. I can’t believe that my goalkeeper is now on the treatment table after a foul, it was a clear foul and everybody could see that.

“Our bench has to be always calm and patient. The other bench was always laughing and joking with the fourth official, so I am tired. But I want to apologise for what I did because Middlesbrough Football Club don’t deserve that.

“But I will always fight until the last second for this football club; I am going to put 100 per cent in to this. The referee said that I had pushed the fourth official. I said that I bet the fourth official didn’t tell him that the fourth official had been laughing with the other bench. This is what it is.”

While that commotion was going on, Blackburn’s striker Gestede celebrated and has reportedly claimed to his team-mates that a monkey gesture was directed his way from inside the Riverside.

It is also known that Blackburn captain Lee Williamson went in to see Clattenburg after the game, but the reasons for the meeting are unclear and it is unknown if it was connected.

Neither Blackburn nor Middlesbrough are commenting at this stage. Boro, though, are understood to have a zero tolerance policy towards racism and are likely to wait the referee’s report before making any formal statement.

The speculation of allegations of racism, the controversial equaliser and the Karanka incident overshadowed what was an entertaining Championship fixture.

Patrick Bamford had given Boro the lead they deserved with seven minutes remaining only for Gestede’s leveller to count to prevent the home side from climbing level on points with Derby at the top.

Karanka said: “My frustration is that my players fight for 94 minutes and then you have three points taken away from you at that stage like we did.

“It could have been 5-1, 6-1. Last season their man of the match was Paul Robinson and it was, again, their keeper. I am happy with the performance but completely frustrated by what happened at the end of the game.”

Konstantopoulos required treatment on his back after the equaliser and Karanka is not sure whether the Greek will be available for Saturday’s trip to Millwall. Full-back Ryan Fredericks and defender Daniel Ayala also had to go off through injury.

“Dimi is bad. I’m not even sure that he will be fit to play the next game because he is really bad. But he was not fouled!” said Karanka. “Dani was a bit dizzy in the first half, Ryan is more worrying thigh problem but we have players who can play.”