AITOR KARANKA has an important couple of games coming up before Christmas, but where will he turn to replace the suspended David Nugent?
The centre-forward position is hardly one where Boro are well stocked with options, which is why Karanka is keeping the door open for Patrick Bamford to return in the New Year should his loan to Crystal Palace come to a premature end.
But Bamford will not solve Middlesbrough’s attacking dilemma ahead of two fixtures against highly-fancied and dangerous promotion rivals.
Karanka always prefers to look at every game on merit rather than plan for a game in advance, so he will spend the next 48 hours weighing up who is the best man to lead the line against Burnley on Tuesday rather than Brighton on Saturday.
But who should he choose first?
KIKE
The Spanish striker is a like-for-like replacement. In many respects he has been unfortunate to find himself out of the team more often than not following Nugent’s £4m arrival from Leicester in August.
Kike, 26, lost his place as soon as the former Foxes striker arrived despite starting the campaign with three goals in his opening three matches. He has looked like a player whose confidence has been dented in front of goal ever since.
But this is his opportunity to prove his worth again and he will hope that Karanka, who has always spoken highly of the former Real Murcia man’s talent, will trust him to lead the line and it would not mean asking Cristhian Stuani to move into a more central role.
CRISTHIAN STUANI
The Uruguayan has rarely played as the main striker under Karanka but wherever he has played he has shown how capable he is of finding space for a chance.
He is strong and can hold the ball up, so the head coach knows that Stuani is effective in that position if he wants to swap things around.
The only negative of playing the eight-goal forward up top is that it will mean a change to the three-man supply line which looks dangerous together.
Stewart Downing, Albert Adomah and Stuani are a threatening trio and should cause Burnley and Brighton problems, but the presence of Diego Fabbrini on the bench does provide Karanka with a very good alternative.
VERDICT
It was harsh on Kike to lose his place when he did after a bright start to the campaign back in August, but Stuani is the man in form and seems the most sensible option.
An attacking quartet of Stuani, Downing, Fabbrini and Adomah would provide balance and plenty of purpose in and around the penalty area.
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